La Muerte de la Inocencia
by gmsephiroth
Summary: Ichigo failed again. He failed to keep his promise. But when Ogichi intervenes to save the day, both his life and that of his friends begin a plummet that would change them all forever. Rated M for strong violence and sexual content OgichiHime & IchiHime.
1. White Moon Rizing

**Hello everybody. Gmsephiroth here, with a new fic after a (very) long absence, from the writing world. For those who are curious, let's just say I had a huge case of writer's block and leave it at that. But, at last, I'm back and with a new fic for my new favorite manga/anime, Bleach! **

**As you've probably guessed, this is an IchiHime fic (with a little OgichiHime, heh heh), but there will be other pairings present throughout the story as well (maybe).**

**Anyway, disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, etc. You know the rest.**

**This fic is rated M for strong violence, blood and gore, explicit sexual content in later chapters, etc.**

**Enjoy!**

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'Again...'

'I lost again...'

'I'm so pathetic. I'm a failure.'

Ichigo could do nothing as he lay on the cold marble floor of Las Noches. He had failed again, after so much hard work and progress, he still failed. He had failed to keep his promise to protect Inoue. And he hated Aizen, the arrancar, and more than anyone, himself. It was because he wasn't strong enough. He wasn't strong enough to protect anyone. Not even himself.

"_Yeah, you really are pathetic, aren't you, your Majesty?"_

'Shut up. I'm not in the mood for your crap right now.'

"_No need to be so angry, my liege. After all, you're the one who got your ass handed to you on a silver platter."_

'Just…go away.'

"_I'm afraid I can't do that. Have you already forgotten what I told you? You've lost Ichigo. So now, I get to be the new king, and you get to be my steed. So giddy up horsy, it's time to go for a little spin. Ha ha ha ha ha!"_

Ichigo could hear the crazed laughter echo in his mind before he lost consciousness.

-----------------------------------

Orihime began to feel uneasy as Grimmjow led her through the hallways of Las Noches, closer and closer to where she had last felt Kurosaki-kun's reiatsu before it disappeared. She wondered briefly what Grimmjow could possibly be thinking leading her there, but she decided not to question it lest he change his mind. She would not pass up the opportunity to see Kurosaki-kun again.

'Please be alright, Kurosaki-kun. Hold on till I get there.'

Grimmjow was thinking much the same thing, but for a completely different reason.

'You'd better not die, Shinigami. I'm the one who's gonna have the pleasure of killing you, not that bastard Ulquiorra.'

Grimmjow was tempted to make a mad dash for the hallway where he last sensed the Shinigami and Ulquiorra, but decided not knowing the girl wouldn't be able to keep up. The damn wench couldn't do much of anything, other than her strange healing trick. But he wouldn't complain. After all, she had gotten him his arm back, and that was reason enough to put up with her...deficiencies.

---------------------------------------------

Ulquiorra had made his way to the inner chambers of Las Noches, ready to report the latest happenings within the castle walls to Aizen-sama. Though he was sure Aizen-sama already knew everything that had happened thus far, he still felt it was his duty to inform him regardless. He felt something was slightly off, but he could not quite place his finger on it. He disregarded the thought, and made it his priority to present his latest report. If anything was truly not as it should be, then surely he would have sensed it earlier.

He finally made his way to the inner chamber and opened the large double doors that led to Aizen-sama's throne room. He announced his entrance and bowed respectfully before the elevated throne, kneeling as he did so.

"Ulquiorra. Rise, my friend. What news do you bring with you?"

Ulquiorra stood slowly and looked up at Aizen from where he stood. He quickly cleared his throat and began his report.

"As I'm sure you are aware, Aizen-sama, the intruders have begun to battle miscellaneous arrancar, as well as select members of the Espada. The five intruders are Kurosaki Ichigo, Ishida Uryu, Sado Yasutora, as you had mentioned earlier, and two new intruders, Abarai Renji, and Kuchika Rukia."

Aizen nodded in understanding, and gestured for Ulquiorra to continue.

"Currently, three of the intruders are either dead, or in a near-death state, rendering them harmless to us, or anyone else. Those three are Kurosaki Ichigo, Sado Yasutora, and Kuchiki Rukia. Kurosaki I dealt with personally, and Kuchiki was defeated in battle with the Noveno Espada, who also lost his life in that same battle. Sado was defeated by Noitora."

Again, a nod from Aizen told Ulquiorra to continue.

"Currently, we have only lost one Espada, specifically, the Novena Espada. The status of the remaining two intruders is currently unknown, but judging by their reiatsu signatures, they are still alive and well."

Aizen paused to look at Ulquiorra for a brief moment while gathering his thoughts. He could sense movement all around the castle, but he felt one reiatsu that was not where it should be.

"Ulquiorra. Tell me, where is Inoue-san at this moment?"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened ever so slightly, showing to those who paid enough attention his surprise. He knew something was off, and now he was sure. Inoue Orihime had left her room, and was traveling about Las Noches. But how? How had she gotten out of her room? He had been sure he locked it.

"It would seem that Grimmjow broke her out of her room, and is now leading her toward the location of Kurosaki Ichigo. Interesting."

Ulquiorra bowed his head in shame, unable to look his master in the eyes.

"Please forgive my foolishness, Aizen-sama. I will retrieve her at once."

Aizen gave him a warm look and a smile, as if to reassure Ulquiorra that all was well and there was no need to worry.

"There is no need for you to be sorry. As a matter of fact, this might make the game a little more interesting. Ulquiorra, follow Grimmjow and Inoue, and observe what happens. Perhaps they will surprise me."

Ulquiorra was slightly confused at Aizen's request, but thought it best to push such thoughts aside and do as he was told. He had already committed one folly too many. With another bow of his head, he turned on his heel and sped off in the direction that he had come from.

------------------------------------

Uryu and Renji sat on the ground, assessing their situation. They were surrounded with the bodies of Grantz' Fraccion. Despite the fact that they had almost defeated one of the Espada, neither of them could find a reason to celebrate, or at least impart some words of encouragement, for in truth, the situation appeared more and more grim the further they analyzed it. Already three of them had lost. Kurosaki, Chad, and Rukia had all been taken out, whereas only one of the ten Espada had been defeated. So, essentially, they were already cut down to only forty percent of their fighting strength, whereas the enemy still had ninety percent of its strength. And that was only counting the Espada.

They also had to calculate the numerous other arrancar, as well as Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen into the equation. Even though their mission was only to rescue Inoue and be on their way, they had no idea who they would run into. They had to come up with a solution fast, or they too, would certainly meet their doom in Hueco Mundo. Ishida was the first to speak up.

"Abarai-kun, we should get moving. We'll be much easier targets if we rest any longer. I don't want to disappoint Grantz, but we have a mission to complete, and that doesn't involve fighting Espada. Needless to say, even if we beat Grantz, there are seven more powerful Espada above him, meaning that we don't have a chance of success if we take them head on. We should concentrate on finding Inoue."

Renji looked up at him briefly, showing his deep sorrow for only a split second before it passed. The look was replaced with one of indifference, a veil through which no emotion could be discerned.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's get moving. We should try to find Inoue-san as quickly as possible and get her out of here. Can you sense her anywhere?"

Ishida glanced at him for a moment, and began to concentrate. He tried his best to sift through the many reiatsu signatures in the area, and looked specifically for one that was not an arrancar, or related to hollows in any way. After a minute or so, he finally found it, moving to where he had last sensed…Kurosaki?

"I think I've found her. Follow me!"

Ishida shot an arrow at a nearby wall, blowing a hole through five more through it. He jumped into it, and gestured for Renji to follow. Renji nodded without a word, and jumped to follow. If they could get Inoue to safety, then maybe Rukia's death wouldn't have been for nothing. Maybe then, he would be able to at the very least, look Kuchiki-taichou in the eyes and ask for his forgiveness.

-----------------------------

Ichigo, with his inner hollow now firmly in control, got up slowly, adjusting itself to it's surroundings while the hollow's regenerative powers took effect and began healing his wounds faster every second. Within a minute, all the wounds were fully healed, and something strange began to happen. The hollow mask that would normally cover Ichigo's face did not appear, but instead, his skin, hair, and even shihakusho began to turn white, and Ichigo's eyes turned black with amber pupils.

"Well, this is new. But at least now I don't _completely_ look like that fool Ichigo. But I wonder, Ichigo, just how much you've grown. Why don't we take your body for a test drive, eh?"

"_You bastard. As soon as I get the chance, I'm taking my body back."_

"All the more reason to have some fun while I can, wouldn't you say?"

"_Damn you…"_

"Just shut up and watch. You're starting to annoy me."

With that said, he began to charge up his reiatsu. It was building up to such incredible levels that the columns supporting the roof began to shake, and the remainder of the wall that Ulquiorra had blasted Ichigo through crumbled away. As he powered down, Ichigo's hollow laughed to himself, content with the power he now had at his fingertips.

"Now let's see if anybody noticed. Ah, here's one now."

He looked over with a smug expression on his face, as the figures of Grimmjow and Orihime appeared from a small hallway opening.

"Hee hee hee! Welcome…"

He lifted Zangetsu from the ground it held it in front of him, pointing the tip towards Grimmjow.

"…to your grave!"

--------------------------

The tremor caused by Ichigo's sudden spike in reiatsu was felt throughout Las Noches, and it brought a look of mild surprise to Aizen's face. Already he could feel the presence of several arrancar fleeing Las Noches, no doubt out of fear. Fear because, unlike before, this new reiatsu, while he was sure belonged to Kurosaki Ichigo, was that of a hollow. Had it been the reiatsu of a shinigami or something else, they might not have fled. How he had not seen it earlier, he was not sure, but now he was certain that Kurosaki had discovered the power of the hollows. Interesting, that he had been able to achieve that level without the aid of a device like the Hougyoku, was nothing short of amazing. But then again, it probably had something to do with Urahara Kisuke. Of this he had little doubt.

"What are your thoughts on the matter, Gin?"

Surely enough, Ichimaru appeared from behind Aizen's throne and, with a smile plastered on his face. It was obvious to guess what he was talking about. Or maybe he just knew his captain well enough to figure it out from the get go.

"I was actually scared for a second there. The kid is definitely strong. Even more so than you, Aizen-taichou."

Aizen regarded him with a thoughtful look. He could not deny it. That raw power put even his own to shame. So the main question would then be, can Kurosaki properly utilize that power. He supposed he would find out soon enough. After all, there were still eight Espada left to test that theory on.

--------------------------------

Orihime was speechless. She couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. Was that really Kurosaki-kun? It had to be. She knew his reiatsu like the back of her hand. But…how did this happen? She was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when Grimmjow spoke up.

"Who the hell are you? Where is that dumbass shinigami?"

Ichigo's hollow looked at him with a smirk on his face. This only made Grimmjow become even angrier.

"I seem to get that question a lot. And by 'dumbass shinigami', I assume you mean Ichigo. Well, he's sleeping rather peacefully inside of me."

Grimmjow's face contorted in confusion, as if trying to decipher some hidden meaning to his words. Ichigo's hollow ignored this, however, and continued to speak.

"As for who I am? Well, I suppose you could call me Zangetsu. Nah, that wouldn't feel right. Ichigo wouldn't work either. I guess I need something original."

He began rubbing his chin, all the while trying to think of a name. Grimmjow was growing increasingly irritated, and was about to attack him when he decided to speak up.

"Aha! I've got it. I guess for the time being, you can call me Ogichi. It's not a very cool sounding name, but it's the best I could come up with on such short notice. Now, let me see. You are Grimmjow, correct?"

"Yeah, that's me. Sexta Espada, Grimmjow-…"

"I don't care for your fancy titles and all that nonsense. It's worthless on the battlefield."

Grimmjow couldn't take it anymore. He was fed up with this Ogi-whatever his name was. He was going to kill the guy right here and now.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!"

Grimmjow made a mad dash forward and pulled out his zanpakuto to slice Ogichi. Orihime, who was dazed throughout the entire exchange, was snapped out of her reverie by the dull thud she felt under her feet from the impact of Grimmjow's attack. Her voice caught in her throat as she feared for the worst. However, as the dust settled at last, she could not help but gasp at the sight before her. Ogichi had stabbed Grimmjow clean through his back. Grimmjow looked down with an expression of shock on his face, as he watched his own blood pour out of his wound onto the floor.

"Shit…"

That was the only word he could force out of his mouth. Orihime let out a gasp as her expression turned into one of mute horror. Not because of Grimmjow's wound, but because of Kurosaki's actions. She had never seen Kurosaki-kun attack that way, without holding back, with such an obvious killing intent. Her eyes widened slightly as she watched Kurosaki pull his zanpakuto out of Grimmjow's back. Grimmjow fell to the ground and landed with a hard thud.

"Humph. For someone who thinks so highly of himself, you sure do suck at this. I thought you would make this battle a little interesting for me, but with the power you have now, you can't even entertain me. Too bad…"

Grimmjow, despite his condition, managed to push himself up and onto his back, so that he could at least look at his opponent.

"Shut up…I can still fight."

Ogichi's expression suddenly turned very serious, and he spoke, looking Grimmjow square in the eye.

"Give it up. You're not strong enough."

It amazed Grimmjow, how such simple words could hit him so hard. But he knew why. He could tell. They hit him so hard, because he knew, deep down, that it was the truth. This time, he had lost. All he could do was lie there and wait for the finishing blow. But it never came.

"Aren't you going to kill me?"

Ogichi's serious expression turned into a smile once again, and he turned around, not even bothering to face Grimmjow as he replied.

"Weren't you listening? You're not even worth killing. You're just not strong enough yet."

Ogichi then began walking towards Orihime, who still wore a shocked expression on her face. She finally gathered the sense to speak as Ogichi slowly approached her.

"Ku-kurosaki-kun?"

She asked hesitantly. Ogichi paused and merely looked at her for a moment.

"You're that broad, Inoue Orihime, right?"

Despite the situation, she became somewhat confused at being referred to as a 'broad' by Kurosaki-kun, but she did her best to hide it as she replied.

"What do you mean? Kurosaki-kun?"

Ogichi rolled his eyes in irritation. This girl sure was dense. Hadn't she been listening before?

"I already said this once. Ichigo isn't around. He's asleep, deep inside this soul we share. And because of this, I'm in control. I'm the new king of this body!"

She still didn't understand what he was talking about. For one thing, this wasn't exactly the way she had expected their reunion to be, assuming one such reunion would ever happen. And now that she's here with him, she finds out that it's not actually him, but someone else? She was about to ask him another question, when he simply continued to walk past her without another word.

"Hey! Wait!"

"Shut up, girl. I don't have time to chit-chat with you. If you can't figure out, it's not my problem. I've got more important things to do then explain things to you like a kindergartener. See ya…"

She didn't really know what was going on, but she sure wasn't going to lose track of Kurosaki-kun. Not after everything that had happened thus far. She took a moment to glance at Grimmjow. No doubt he would die soon if he wasn't attended to. But she had more important things to worry about than healing her enemy. And so, without a second thought, she turned and followed Ogichi out of the now half destroyed edifice.

----------------------------

Uryu and Renji emerged in the room where they had just sensed Orihime. From the looks of things, a huge battle had taken place there. As then paused and looked around for any bodies, they finally caught sight of something in the corner of the room, near the huge hole in the wall which led outside. As they approached the body, they noticed it was an arrancar, and judging by his appearance, he was most likely an Espada. He appeared to be dead, but both Uryu and Renji knew better. They could still sense his reiatsu, and while it was slowly fading, it was still quite strong.

"What should we do with him?"

Uryu looked at Renji, thinking the same thing himself. Not being the type to strike an enemy who can't defend himself, he decided it would be best to just leave him and follow Orihime's reiatsu, which, oddly enough, was following the **huge** hollow reiatsu they had sensed earlier.

"I think we should leave him be. He doesn't pose any threat to us now, and we have much more important things to worry about."

Renji nodded in agreement, and they silently continued to follow Orihime's reiatsu, which was now moving to the center of Las Noches, where the arrancar reiatsu was strongest.

------------------------------

Ulquiorra, who had silently observed the latter half of the short exchange between Ogichi and Grimmjow, decided to make his appearance. Even though he could have easily wiped out the Quincy and the Shinigami with him, Aizen-sama had given him explicit orders to observe, meaning he was to avoid combat as long as possible. Satisfied that everything was clear, he used sonido to appear beside Grimmjow. Kneeling down to observe the damage, he realized the Grimmjow was still conscious, meaning he had opted to feign death so that the Quincy and Shinigami would ignore him and continue.

"Do you fear death that much, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow then opened his eyes, and glared at Ulquiorra with the most menacing face he could muster. Which wasn't very menacing at all, considering the state he was in. Of course, again, he was faced only with a truth he didn't want to admit. After what Ogichi had told him, that he wasn't strong enough, he had become genuinely afraid of death. He wanted live, if only so that he could get his revenge.

"Are you well enough to move about?"

Ulquiorra knew it was a stupid question, but he felt he should ask just out of spite.

"What the fuck do you think?"

As he said that, he coughed up a large amount of blood. After his coughing fit had passed, he turned his head to stare at the dull sky of Hueco Mundo. The night was quickly descending on Las Noches, and soon the world would be shrouded in darkness, in the figurative sense. Aizen's dome made the physically impossible. He was taken from his thoughts by the sound of Ulquiorra's voice.

"I see. I will take you to receive medical attention. Since it is obvious Inoue-san will not be available, we will have to place you in intensive care until further notice."

Ulquiorra proceeded to lift Grimmjow up, and carried him to the nearest medical station. Neither of them said anything for the entire walk. There was no need for words. And besides, they didn't like each other much to begin with, so the silence bothered neither.

----------------------------

"Are you gonna follow me all day, girl?"

Ogichi was becoming increasingly irritated with Orihime. She asked so many stupid, not to mention obvious, questions, and then after she was done, she tried to engage in worthless small talk. She spoke to him as if he were that dumbass Ichigo.

"Actually, yes, I'm going to keep following you."

"Well, at least make yourself useful and tell me where we're going. All these corridors and passages are starting to piss the crap outta me."

"Well, it depends on where you're headed. Do you know?"

'Great, another stupid question. What the heck is wrong with this girl? Hasn't she figured out that I ain't Ichigo yet?'

"I'm looking for the strongest guy around here so I can kick his ass. Based on what I remember, it's probably that weirdo Aizen. So I guess I'm headed to wherever he's at."

Orihime suddenly became worried. Does he really want to fight Aizen? Despite the fact that he said it as if it were a joke, she could tell he was serious. And the only way to stop him would be to take him in the wrong direction, but he would probably realize pretty quickly they're not going the right way. Seeing no way out of this situation, she decided to tell him…on one condition.

"I'll tell how to reach him, on one condition. I want you to take me with you."

"Che. Should have seen that coming I guess. Fine, whatever. It's you're funeral. Lead on, girly."

She was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected him to comply so easily. Regardless, as long she could stay with him, it was fine. At least until she was safe and had time to figure out how to bring Ichigo back. From what this Ogichi had told her, he was 'resting' after having taken a thorough beating from Ulquiorra. She still didn't quite understand how it worked, but now wasn't the time to dwell on that either. Now she had to think of how to face Aizen. Surely he already knew they were on the way.

"……"

She looked over her should at Ogichi. Judging from the expression on his face, he knew exactly how he was going to confront Aizen. He had an arrogant grin on his face, as if his victory was already firmly in his hand long before the battle. Not at all unlike Aizen.

-----------------------------

Aizen waited patiently for the arrival of Kurosaki and Inoue. He briefly wondered, if this would be his last day on earth. A wave of foreboding engulfed him, and he felt a chill run down his spine. Was it fear that he felt just now? Impossible. He feared nothing. As he finished that thought, the large door into his throne room opened, revealing his two guests of honor. He had made sure to send the Espada away and instructed them to not disturb him no matter what. He would call for them if they were needed. The same went for Gin and Tousen. He wanted nothing to get in the way of his…experiment.

"Welcome, Kurosaki Ichigo. Inoue-san, thank you for escorting him here. That was most gracious of you."

His words were laced with false sweetness, as was usual whenever he spoke. Orihime glared at him apprehensively. Ogichi merely took at step forward and grinned.

"How many more times am I gonna have to say this? Ichigo ain't around. I'm here to take his place. And hopefully, permanently."

Aizen was somewhat surprised at his comment. A dual personality? No, he doubted it was that simple. Perhaps Kurosaki had somehow developed two separate sides to his soul when he obtained his hollow powers. That seemed like the most logical explanation. After all, Shinigami have a similar experience when they create the spirit of their zanpakuto. In either case, this would certainly turn out to be quite interesting. He wondered if there would be any more surprises.

"How rude of me. Please, how should I refer to you from now on. I wouldn't want to sound impolite."

"I guess you could call me Ogichi. Not that it matters, 'cause I'm gonna kill you right here and now!"

Orihime took a cautious step closer to Ogichi and whispered to him.

"Please be careful."

He didn't bother to look at her as he replied, his gaze fixed on Aizen.

"Worry about yourself. I'm not Ichigo, so don't go thinking I'm gonna try to protect you or any bullshit like that."

She was somewhat hurt by his comment, but cast the thought aside when Aizen spoke.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I am quite a busy man, and wouldn't want to stall this any longer. Shall we begin?"

Ogichi simply smiled and lifted Zangetsu off his back, pointing it at Aizen.

"Let's do this."

---------------------------

Throughout the castle, the Espada could feel the battle commencing. Even Stark, who was usually asleep, remained alert and on the lookout. Even though Aizen-sama had told them not to interfere, they were ready to jump in at a moment's notice.

---------------------------

Ogichi performed a downward slash with all his strength, which Aizen parried, causing the ground to shake slightly, and Aizen to stumble backward somewhat. Aizen wouldn't admit it, but this battle was proving to be difficult, even for him. It looked like he would have to resort to using Kyokatsuigetsu's ability to gain the upper hand.

"Hee ha ha ha! What's wrong Aizen? Aren't you supposed to be some kind of god or something?"

Aizen said nothing as they separated. Ogichi had a smug grin on his face, whereas Aizen wore a look void of any emotion.

"What a load of bullshit. Sure, you've got more power than most, but you're no god. And I'll prove it to everyone here who believes otherwise."

With that, he once again rushed forward. Aizen wanted to have some 'fun' as Gin had put it, but he realized he could not afford to play with play with Kurosaki any longer. The fight was short, but he would end it now. Aizen smiled.

"Bukudo number 67: Rikujou Kourou."

Six pillars of light surrounded Ogichi and kept him in place. Aizen used shunpo to appear in front of Ogichi, and raised his hand in a movement that Ogichi recognized from Ichigo's memories of Soul Society.

"Hadou number 91: Kurohit…"

"BANKAI!"

Aizen was unable to finish his kidou spell, and jumped back in surprise as Ogichi activated Tensa Zangetsu. He has forgotten about Kurosaki's bankai, and mentally cursed himself for overlooking such a simple and obvious detail. As the smoke surrounding Ogichi dissipated, Aizen could make out the faint sound of a chain rattling.

"That was a close one. I must admit, you almost had me there. Too bad for you, I'm not as stupid as Ichigo."

"I see. I guess I'll have time for some fun after all. Try your best to keep this interesting, would you?"

Ogichi let out a short laugh. Aizen smiled. He had to admit, he would have really enjoyed the company of this 'Ogichi' had they met under different circumstances. A subordinate like him would have been a pleasure to have. Pushing the thought aside, he took advantage of the fact that Ogichi was distracted and began to draw his zanpakuto.

"Kudake…"

Again he was interrupted, as Ogichi instantaneously appeared in front of Aizen and pushed Kyokatsuigetsu back into its sheath. Once again, Aizen wore a surprised expression on his face. His entire battle strategy was falling apart.

"You thought that I was distracted huh? But it looks like you were the one who wasn't paying attention. A true warrior would never lose his focus on the battlefield."

Aizen regarded him coolly. He was being outmatched, and he knew it.

"You thought that you could just use that little illusion trick on then kill me while I wasn't paying attention, huh? Too bad. Looks like your plan backfired."

As he said this, Ogichi stabbed Aizen in the stomach, and laughed coldly as he watched Aizen fall to the floor. However, he had not let go of Kyokatsuigetsu, and so he pulled it along with its sheath off of Aizen's belt.

"Oh my. Looks like you won't be needing this anymore."

He tossed the zanpakuto into the air, and as it fell, he slashed it in two. Aizen hadn't even registered the action or his words. He was simply too stunned to do so. How could he, a _**god**_, have possibly lost? He could not believe it. In his mind, it was simply impossible. And at that moment, for the first time in centuries, he felt truly weak.

----------------------------

Orihime had carefully observed the battle without saying a word. She had nearly fainted of fright when Aizen had trapped Kurosaki-kun with the kidou spell, but sighed in silent relief when she saw the tables turn on Aizen. Honestly, she neither thought nor believed the battle would end that quickly. It seemed somewhat anticlimactic to her. But she thought it was better that way. And then something dawned upon her, and her eyes went wide. She was in Aizen's throne room. That meant that the Hougyoku was here. She turned and sprinted towards the cylinder where Aizen had shown her the Hougyoku before. The adrenaline began pumping through her veins as the thought of finally ending this madness rushed through her mind.

"……."

She looked at the cylinder in silent anxiety as she tried to remember how to open it. She placed her hand over it and poured some reiatsu into it, and watched silently as nothing happened. Her face contorted in frustration as she searched frantically through her memories of that specific conversation with Aizen for any clues that show her how to work the device. Then it dawned on her.

"…_I need your power, Inoue-san…"_

Summoning the Shun Shun Rikka, she focused them around the cylinder.

"Souten Kishun! I reject!"

At first, nothing happened, but eventually, the top of the cylinder began to move away from the rest of it, revealing the object she was after. The Hougyoku. She carefully removed it from atop the cylinder, and observed it momentarily.

"Everything that's happened. All the pain and sadness. All for this…"

She placed the Hougyoku on the ground and used Souten Kishun on it. All the damage and deterioration that been done to it as a result of repeated uses began to disappear. After a minute or so, it returned to its original state, when Urahara Kisuke had first created it. Orihime did not stop there, however. She continued to use Souten Kishun, despite the fact that it was draining her rather quickly. Ogichi walked over to her and observed her silently, although he remained focused on his surroundings. Surely the Espada would sense the defeat of their leader and come running to his rescue.

"……."

Surely enough, in less than a minute, he could already feel the approaching reiatsu of the Espada. He also sensed two other reiatsu signatures approaching. After a few moments of careful thought, he concluded them to be Ishida and Abarai. He thought it strange, however, that only two Espada had decided to move in on Aizen's throne room. Had the other ones abandoned their leader now that he was defeated? He could relate to that. He certainly wouldn't bow down to a weak king.

"There. It's done."

"Huh?"

He looked down then, and noticed that the Hougyoku was gone. He didn't care though. All he wanted to do was kill strong opponents.

"Well then, it looks like we have guests."

Orihime turned to him and wondered briefly what he was talking about. And then she sensed the two reiatsu signatures of approaching Espada.

'How stupid of me! How could I forget _them_!'

Within a few seconds, the first of the two approaching Espada entered the throne room. Ogichi smiled. He was ready for another battle after that pathetic wannabe god.

"Welcome to the party. The invitation is free, so make yourself at home."

The Espada smiled. He looked over at Aizen's body. He was still alive, but in no condition to fight, or give him orders. Perfect, the thought, now he could do whatever he wanted. He then looked over at Orihime, and noticed the cylinder behind her was open, but it was lacking something.

"Oh my, you've been a naughty girl, Pet-sama. You need a spanking."

Noitora looked at her with a seductive glint in his eyes. Orihime cringed in disgust. She hated him. He was a despicable, sadistic bastard. That Noitora.

"Enough with the chit-chat. Are you gonna fight or can I just kill you?"

Ogichi smiled and glared at Noitora. Noitora returned the smile, and in that instant used sonido to appear behind Ogichi. He used his large scythe and slashed down, letting out a crazed roar as he did so. However, he hit nothing but air and stone. He was met with another crazed roar, and the tip of a white zanpukoto protruding from his chest. He looked down and watched as his own blood spilled out from the wound.

"Wha-…"

"You aren't that strong either, are you? You Espada sure are full of yourselves. Crawl back to whatever shithole you came from and die."

As soon as those words left his lips, he turned Tensa Zangetsu up and slashed right through Noitora's head. The blood gushed out and bathed Ogichi's white skin and clothing in a sickening crimson color. Orihime stared in utter shock.

"Ha! That felt good."

As he turned to her, she took in just how menacing he looked, bathed in the blood of his enemy. She thought she would be sick to her stomach. Was this really Kurosaki-kun? She couldn't fathom the kind-hearted Kurosaki ever doing something like this.

"Right on cue, here comes guest number two."

The large double doors of the throne room burst open, and there stood Ulquiorra. Ogichi grinned the broadest grin he could muster. This was perfect.

"Ah, just the guy I wanted to see. I really gotta thank you, ya know that. If it wasn't for you, I would've been stuck inside that weak king of mine forever."

Ulquiorra was barely registering what Ogichi was saying. For the first time in his short life as an Espada, he wore a face of pure and utter shock and disbelief. Aizen-sama was just laying there in a pool of his own blood. How could he have been defeated. Had he not told the Espada that as long as they stood with him and followed him, that no enemy could stand against them? And yet, there he lay, defeated by an enemy so very similar to the arrancar. He turned and glared at Ogichi, who simply stared at him with a grin on his face. It reminded him of Grimmjow's smile. Hidden behind them was always the desire to kill, the murderous intent of a pure bred killer.

"You…you did this to Aizen-sama?"

"Who gives a shit? That loser should be the least of your worries now. I have a personal debt to repay you. And I'm running short on time, I'm afraid. It feels like Ichigo is gonna come out to take control of his body soon, and I can't have that just yet."

Ulquiorra understood his words perfectly. He too, now had a 'personal debt' to repay this man. And so, without another word, he once again reverted to his emotionless poker face, and drew his zanpakuto. He dashed at Ogichi, who simply stood there smiling, zanpakuto rested on his shoulder. Ulquiorra saw his mouth move, and knew clearly what he was saying.

"You're too slow…"

He then held his zanpakuto in front of him as he parried Ulquiorra's blow, and then, holding his sword, he chanted the two words which sealed the Cuarto Espada's fate.

"Getsuga Tenshou…"

In that moment, Ulquiorra saw his entire life flash before his eyes. His days as a human, the first girl he loved, the day he died and became a hollow, when he met Aizen and was turned into an Espada, and finally, the white Getsuga Tenshou that was now destroying his body.

-------------------

"That was way too easy. These Espada guys really are freakin' weak. I can't believe Ichigo couldn't beat these guys, even when he was using my power. Oh well, he wasn't using right anyway, which was why he got beat in the first place."

He walked up to Ulquiorra's bleeding body, and watched as he coughed up blood. It looked like luck was on his side. He could still have a little fun.

"Still alive, are you? Don't worry, I can fix that."

In that moment, Uryu and Renji burst into the room, and observed the scene before them in horror. They had not expected this. First they say Orihime staring at something in shock, then they looked over to see the bodies of Aizen and an arrancar, and finally they're eyes rested on what Orihime was staring at. And they froze in fear.

"Eeh hee hee hee!"

Ogichi sliced and diced Ulquiorra's corpse into as many pieces as he possibly could. Orihime, Uryu, and Renji watched in shock and could do nothing as the blood spattered across the room and all over Ogichi. After a few minutes of mindless slashing and sprays of blood, Ogichi impaled Ulquiorra's lifeless head with Zangetsu and lifted it up into the air. Quickly drawing back his sword, he sliced the head in two, and watched happily as the blood sprayed all over his face and chest.

"Ku-kuro-saki-kun?"

Orihime looked stunned beyond belief. But what happened next would be the subject of nightmares for months to come. As he looked over at her, she could see the blood and gore dripping off his clothes and his zanpakuto. And his face, his blood covered face smiled and looked at her with eyes that clearly conveyed his bloodlust and desire to kill. It felt like his gaze was boring into her very soul, as if assuring her that she too, would die in a similar way, by the same hand, and the same sword. He was like a demon. A terribly evil beast who existed only to devour others. Ogichi then dropped Zangetsu onto the floor, and grabbed his head as if in pain, and let out the most chilling scream she had ever heard in her life.

And then he collapsed.

----------------------

**That's it for chapter 1. I'm also posting chapter 2 back to back with this one, so that one won't have any authors notes or anything. Anyway, big thanks to Lilith Rei, her support (as well as her current Bleach fic, Five Years) inspired me to get back to writing and write this fic up. I hope you like this chapter (and the next one). Please Read and Review. Later!**

**-gmsephiroth**


	2. Eclipsed Dawn

**Most of you probably don't realize this (since I picked it up pretty quickly), but I made a huge mistake when posting both chapters ****1 and 2. Luckily, I fixed it in time. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ogichi made a mad dash through the two huge double doors and left Aizen's throne room, zipping past Renji and Uryu before they had time to react. The room was left with a heavy silence for a moment as the three people in the room processed what had just happened. Orihime was the first to move and also dashed for the door.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

However, she was nowhere near as fast as Ogichi, and so Uryu had no trouble grabbing a hold of her and keeping her there. He hated to admit it, but they couldn't worry about Kurosaki now. They couldn't catch to him now, not in the condition they were in.

"Let me go, Ishida-kun! Please!"

"Inoue-san! That's enough!"

She continued to try to struggle out of his grasp, but eventually stopped and drooped down onto the floor, tears streaming out of her eyes.

"What's wrong with him? Why is Kurosaki-kun acting like this? I just don't understand."

"Inoue-san…I'm sorry…"

Renji decided now would be the appropriate time to speak up. They couldn't afford to spend any more time there. Any Espada could decide to show up out of anymore at any given moment, and he didn't want to be around when that happened.

"Sorry to break this up, but we should get out of here. We're not exactly in friendly territory."

Uryu glanced at him and nodded in agreement and looked over at Orihime, who still had her face downcast. He was about to say something to comfort her, but before he could do so, she stood up and walked over to the Espada's mutilated corpse. It was a gruesome sight, to be sure. Most people probably wouldn't be able to stomach a scene like that. It looked like something out of a horror movie. Orihime knelt down beside the corpse and began healing it.

"Souten Kishun. I reject."

Her voice seemed somewhat dull now, but Uryu could guess the obvious reason why, and cast the thought aside.

"Inoue-san, are you sure you should be healing the enemy?"

He observed the pained look that crossed Orihime's face for but a moment, but it soon disappeared and was replaced with the sad look she had just before.

"No one deserves to die that way, not even someone like Aizen."

Uryu was somewhat taken aback by that comment, but he figured that was just the way Orihime was, and simply continued to look on as she worked. Slowly, the different parts of Ulquiorra's body began reattaching themselves, all the damage caused by Ogichi began to disappear, and eventually, not a single scar remained on his body.

"We should get out of here. Abarai-kun?"

Both Orihime and Uryu looked over to where Renji was standing, towering over Aizen's body. His zanpakuto was drawn and raised over his head. His expression was one of pure hatred and rage. He was about to strike when Orihime stopped him.

"Abarai-kun! Stop!"

She couldn't take any more death or blood. It was too much for one day. For an entire lifetime. She just could not take it anymore.

"Please stop…"

"But…Rukia died because of what this bastard did! If he hadn't done all of this, Rukia wouldn't have died fighting the Espada! Do you want me to just ignore that fact? And how about all the other people he's hurt, huh? How about their pain? Do you want me to ignore that too and let him live? I won't! I'm gonna kill him!"

Orihime could say nothing in reply and merely looked down at the floor once more. He was right. Too many people had suffered because of Aizen, and while she didn't want the killing and bloodshed to continue, she wouldn't heal Aizen if Renji did him in. Renji lifted is sword up once more, and brought it down to deliver the finishing blow to the unconscious Aizen. However, his attack was cut short when his zanpakuto broke.

"Now now, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. It just isn't very nice to attack an unconscious man, wouldn't you say, Abarai-kun?"

"Ichimaru…Gin!"

"Abarai-kun! Behind you!"

The tip of a sword was placed on the back of his neck, and he knew it was over. He knew this reiatsu. It was Kaname Tousen.

"Damn it…"

Ichimaru looked at Renji, and then Uryu and Orihime. He then looked all around the room and took notice of the fact that the Hougyoku was no longer there.

"Oh my, how unfortunate. It looks like we're in quite the predicament. You've done quite a naughty thing, Inoue-san. Not very nice at all."

Tousen turned his head in Gin's direction, silently asking what they should do next. Gin thought for a moment, and then concluded that nothing could be done at the moment.

"It looks like fate wasn't in our favor today. Let them go. There's no point to keeping them around, or killing them either."

Tousen nodded in agreement, and removed the tip of his sword from the Renji's back.

"You're all free to go."

At that moment, Ulquiorra had regained consciousness, and looked around the room in a daze. Had he survived the attack? He didn't think it possible. There was too much reiatsu poured into that attack for him to have survived. But as he looked around, he noted that Kurosaki was nowhere to be found, and was replaced with Tousen and Ichimaru. Slightly confused, it didn't take him long from the looks he was receiving that he had been healed, most likely by Inoue Orihime."

"Ah, what convenient timing, Ulquiorra. Would you be so kind as to escort these three to the human world? I'm afraid keeping them around would serve no purpose to us."

Still somewhat dazed, Ulquiorra attempted to regain his composure and nodded in silent agreement. He didn't know what had happened while he was unconscious, and he guessed Ichimaru had a good reason for letting them go. Plus, he wasn't one to question the orders of his superiors, and with Aizen not able to object, he would simply do as he was told and leave it at that.

"What about Rukia?"

That was Renji's first thought at the new development. Even if Rukia was dead, he still wanted to take her body back to Soul Society, and not leave it here for hollows to feast on. At least that way, she would simply continue the endless cycle and be reincarnated, and not devoured like some everyday meal.

"Oh yes, of course. My apologies. Ulquiorra, would also be so kind as to take these three to Aaroniero's chamber? And while you're at it, I'm sure they would also like to take the body of Sado-san with them."

Ulquiorra, finally having composed himself to a halfway decent state, simply bowed and uttered a "yes sir" to confirm he acknowledged the orders and would carry them out. He turned towards the door of the throne room.

"Please follow me."

They were reluctant to do so at first, not really trusting Gin or Ulquiorra, but they figured that, given their present situation, they didn't have much of a choice, or a chance to fight back. So they quietly moved to follow Ulquiorra.

"Buh-bye now! Say hi to Matsumoto for me, would you?"

That was the last thing they heard from within the throne room.

* * *

Within the throne room, Gin and Tousen briefly wondered what to do next. Noitora was done for, that was for sure. Only Inoue could heal him in the state he was in. So, they decided to forget about him and focus on their fallen leader. Even with his injuries, he wouldn't die, even if left alone, but they figured it would be best to get him in tip top shape as fast as possible.

"Would you please go find a medic, Tousen?"

"Of course."

Tousen then disappeared as he used shunpo to exit the room and find the best arrancar medic to heal their captain. Gin could already tell, this was going to be a long day.

* * *

Ogichi had run all the way out of Las Noches and into the middle of the cold desert when he finally lost control to Ichigo again. Ichigo could see the white skin begin to turn back to its normal color, and could feel the hollow receding into the back of his mind, letting out a stream of curses as he did so. He felt so pathetic and useless at his own inability to prevent his hollow from taking control, despite all the time the Vizards spent training him. Once again, he told himself, that he was truly pathetic. Finally taking not of his surroundings, he found that he not on a cold hard floor like that of Las Noches, but rather, lying in hot sand, which felt like it was scorching to his skin despite the cold air of Hueco Mundo.

"Where the hell am I?"

He briefly wondered why the sand was so hot if there supposedly was never any sunlight in Hueco Mundo. He disregarded the thought as quickly as it came, and pushed himself up weakly to look around. He could not see a thing in any direction. How far had his hollow ran? Not even the colossal Las Noches could be seen in the horizon, even as a speck. And worse still, he didn't know which direction his hollow had run from exactly. His footsteps could only be seen for about a hundred or so feet, running around in random directions, the rest had been covered up by the sandy winds. He couldn't believe it. He had finally regained control of his body only to find himself not only in a weakened, but lost in the middle of a desert.

"Fuck!"

He could hear the yell echo for miles, but he knew no one would probably hear it. He cursed himself again.

_"That's what you get, king! You should've let me stay in control!"_

'You shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear any more bullshit from you!'

_"You really should learn to mind your language, king. It's very unbecoming of you."_

'Just shut up. I'm tired of you voice.'

_"Fine__, whatever. Arguing with someone as stupid as you is no fun anyway. See ya later, king!"_

Satisfied that his hollow would leave him alone, he decided that despite his situation, he should begin moving. Staying where he was wouldn't get him out of his problem. He tried to think of how exactly to get out of Hueco Mundo. If no one with the ability to open Garganta found him, he would probably be stuck here for the rest of his pitiful life. He cursed at himself once again. This was definitely going to be a long day.

* * *

Ulquiorra silently led Orihime, Uryu, and Renji into the chamber of Aaroniero Arleri. Immediately Renji spotted Rukia and rushed to her side. Uryu and Orihime followed closely behind. Ulquiorra, in the meantime, decided to busy himself by checking on the corpse of Aaroniero. To his surprise, however, it was already. He could sense faint traces of Grantz' reiatsu in the room.

'I see, he already got to him then. No doubt he's already experimenting on the body in this research chamber.'

Not having anything else to do, he turned to observe the others from a distance. He would have preferred to attack them or to leave them to take care of themselves, but again, he was not one to question or go against his superiors orders. His instructions were clear, and he would carry them out without fail. It was then that he overheard what they were saying.

"Rukia!"

Renji was holding her up to see if she was still alive. He checked her for a pulse, and to the surprise of both Renji, she was still alive, although just barely. Ulquiorra caught the look on Renji's face, and he too was somewhat surprised that Kuchiki Rukia had survived. It would seem, that with every passing moment, the Espada appeared less and less competent, almost weak. At the very least, he felt vastly different than from before his last battle with Kurosaki. He didn't know what power Kurosaki had used, but he was certain it was something very similar to his power. He had heard of such power from Aizen-sama.

_"Ulquiorra. I have a question for you. You know already that whenever a hollow removes his mask and obtains the power of a Shinigami__, an arrancar is created, correct?__"_

_"Of course, Aizen-sama. __Why do you ask?"_

_"Do you know what a Shinigami who obtains a hollow mask and the power of hollows is called?"_

_He had never really thought about it. In his mind, he did not believe such things could exist, despite how foolish it was to believe so. He shook his head._

_"No, Aizen-sama. I'm afraid I do not."_

_"They are called Vizards. They are perhaps the only beings in existence that can truly rival, and defeat, arrancars, generally speaking, of course."_

_"Vizards? I had never heard or seen such a thing."_

_"In a very similar manner to arrancar prior to my arrival here with the Hougyoku, vizards exist in limited quantities because, simply put, it is very difficult to obtain this power through natural means. As a matter of fact, judging from the reports made by Urahara Kisuke regarding vizards, and my own research on arrancar, with and without the Hyogyoku, I would say that it is even more difficult for a Shinigami to become a vizard than for a hollow to become an arrancar, specifically when it comes to controlling and sealing that power."_

_"All very interesting, Aizen-sama, but may I inquire as to why you would bring this up all of a sudden."_

_"Of course. To keep it short and sweet, I believe Kurosaki Ichigo is one such being. A vizard, a Shinigami who has obtained the power of hollows through some strange means, no doubt through the intervention of Urahara Kisuke."_

_"What would make you believe such a thing, Aizen-sama?"_

_"Grimmjow mentioned briefly that __during his latest bout with __Kur__osaki Ichigo he had utilized a new, and fairly strange power, which was activated when Kurosaki donned a mask that appeared to be the mask of a hollow. Furthermore, the reiatsu he felt, he said, felt strikingly similar to that of an arrancar. He also mentioned in passing that as he was about to deliver the finishing blow __to Kuchiki Rukia, another strange person with a zanpakuto appeared to aid Ichigo, and that he too, donned a strange mask that appeared to be a hollow mask."_

_"So, what you mean to say, Aizen-sama, is that, not only do you believe Kurosaki Ichigo to be a vizard, but you also believe that he may be allied with an unknown quantity of other vizards."_

_"Correct. You do catch on quick, Ulquiorra. Once I have the ouken in my possession, I will have to make an effort to hunt down and eliminate these vizards, as they could prove to be quite a nuisance to my plans."_

_"Of course, Aizen-sama."_

Ulquiorra observed that, while Kurosaki Ichigo had not donned such a mask during their last fight, he had indeed matched all the other characteristics of a vizard. And based on his personal experience, he was sure that Kurosaki had not even used a tenth of his power to eliminate him. However, it did not seem like he was fighting Kurosaki at all. Perhaps being a vizard had side effects? From what he could guess, in exchange for a power even greater than an arrancars, the vizards had to put up with dual personalities, or possibly even souls. It was the only logical explanation he could think of that would constitute both the immense increase in reiatsu, as well as the dramatic shift in personality that Kurosaki had exhibited in the past few hours alone. That thought alone made an uncharacteristic chill run down his spine. Brushing the thought aside, he continued to silently observe the scene before him as Inoue Orihime began to heal Kuchiki Rukia. Surely enough, moments later, Kuchiki had gotten up as if she had not been injured at all. Inoue's power still managed to amaze him, even now. He walked up to the group, which was busy exchanging words of praise and thanks.

"Are you finished? We have yet to find Sado Yasutora and get you back to the human world."

Rukia immediately went wide eyed and made to grab her zanpakuto, but Renji's hand grabbed hers and stopped her.

"Don't worry, Rukia. He's not here to hurt us."

"What?"

"Listen, I'll tell you the story later. Right now, we're not really in a position to be wasting time."

Rukia gave him a look, but figured that he knew what he was talking about. Whatever had happened, she was sure she could trust Renji. And so, she silently nodded and got up, eyeing Ulquiorra suspiciously, but he just ignored the look and began to lead them outside, through the corridor Rukia had taken to get to Aaroniero's chamber. She has so much she wanted to say, and from what she could tell, so did the others. But they refrained from doing so, probably because of the presence of the arrancar, which she figured as an Espada, and a powerful one judging from his reiatsu. That was when she realized something.

"Where's Ichigo?"

She saw how grim the expressions of Renji and Ishida became, and how Inoue visibly drooped, pain and sadness gracing her features as she said the name. However, they said nothing, meaning that it too, was a long story that was not to be told in front of the arrancar. And it could only mean one thing. Bad news.

* * *

Ichigo was still wandering. He had been doing so for hours now, and still no sight of anything other than the occasional crystal-like 'dead plant'. His frustration was building quickly and he felt like his mind would snap like a thin twig under a person's foot if this kept up any longer. Despite his mental protests, he knew complaining wouldn't get him any closer to where he needed. He didn't even know if he was even getting closer to where he wanted to go. As a matter of fact, he didn't even know if it was possible to get to where he wanted to go from where he was at now. All he wanted to do was go home. He wondered briefly what had happened to the others. Were they safe? He certainly hoped they were alright. Otherwise, everything that had been sacrificed would have been for nothing.

"……."

And so, without another word, he cleared his mind of such negative thoughts and focused only on getting

* * *

Ichimaru and Tousen watched in silence as the arrancar medic worked on Aizen. After about an hour or so, Aizen managed to regain consciousness, and forced himself up.

"Did you have a good sleep, Aizen-taicho?"

Aizen simply stared up at him and Tousen for a second. He wasn't in the mood to joke around, all things considered, but he didn't think it wise to lose his cool around his subordinates. It would only serve to further destroy his god-like image.

"Not as good as I had hoped. What is our status?"

"Not good. Not good at all."

Tousen, being more direct than Ichimaru when it came to conveying messages, intruded to speak.

"The intruders are currently being escorted out of Hueco Mundo by Ulquiorra, at our command, with the exception of Kurosaki Ichigo, who had run off earlier in a currently unknown direction."

Before Tousen could finish, Aizen interrupted with his own question.

"When you say intruders, do you also mean Inoue Orihime?"

Tousen paused for a second, pondering what answer to give him, and he figured the direct and honest approach would be best.

"Yes. It would seem that prior to our arrival, Inoue Orihime used her power to completely erase the existence of the Hougyoku, thus rendering her useless to our cause. Because she was no longer of any use to us, we allowed her to go with the rest of the intruders."

The news about the Hougyoku was none too pleasing at all. This set his plans behind for another year or so. It would take him quite a bit of time to reproduce a substitute for the Hougyoku. Because Urahara Kisuke had never written down in his research exactly how the Hougyoku was created, the best he could do was make a makeshift substitute based on all the date compiled on it throughout the years of its development, as well as the short time he himself had actually used it to create arrancar. And even if he could make an adequate substitute for the creation of the ouken, there was telling what kind of side effects it would have if he used it to create more arrancar. For the first time in his life, he truly had a great measure of respect for the former twelfth division captain. He must have been quite a genius indeed to be able to create something as complex as the Hougyoku.

"I see. In that case, we haven't time to spare. Please gather the Espada and relay the news to them. I have to go speak to Grantz."

With that said, he rose to his feet, and without another word, left the throne room. Both Ichimaru and Tousen thought Aizen's behavior to be rather strange, but they figured it wasn't anything surprising considering it had been anything but a normal day.

* * *

Orihime quickly healed Chad's wounds, and began breathing labored breaths when she finished. Despite her friends initial concern for her well being, she told gestured that she was fine. Chad, who was somewhat surprised at the presence of Orihime, was first to speak.

"What happened?"

Uryu was the one who responded this time.

"We don't have time to discuss that right now. We have to leave now."

Chad was still somewhat confused, but nodded and slowly got up. They were all expecting the next question that came out of his mouth.

"Where's Ichigo?"

Noticing the look they were all giving him, he knew that they couldn't tell him now. And if that was the case, then he knew it was something bad.

"I see. Alright then, let's get outta here."

They all nodded silently, and Ulquiorra led them to a special chamber in Las Noches, which the arrancar used to open Garganta and travel to the human world. With a simple wave of his hand, Ulquiorra opened Garganta, and gestured for them to follow him in. Orihime suddenly developed second thoughts about leaving and turned around to walk back.

"Inoue! Where are you going?"

"To find Kurosaki-kun!"

"Hold it, Inoue!"

Renji and Uryu both grabbed Orihime and held her back. Chad and Rukia, not understanding what was going on, stood and simply observed. Ulquiorra simply waited for the little show to end. He was a patient individual, so the wait did not bother him much.

"LET ME GO! I HAVE TO FIND KUROSAKI-KUN!"

She was now becoming hysterical. Uryu understood perfectly that Orihime had feelings for Kurosaki, but this was no time for her to lose her cool. They didn't even know where to begin looking, and so, now was not the opportune time to be losing one's cool and jumping on stupid decisions. Not only were they weakened from their battles, but they were deep in enemy territory and vastly outnumbered and outmatched.

"Inoue, please, you're not going to help anybody like this!"

"NO! Let me go…please. Just let me go. I-I want to find him…"

"……."

She broke into a fit of tears, and both Uryu and Renji took advantage of her vulnerable state to drag her into Garganta. Chad and Rukia followed closely behind, and the portal closed.

* * *

Seconds later, a similar portal opened but a few blocks away from Urahara Shoten. Having sensed the opening of Garganta, Urahara was already on his way there. Soul Society had also picked up the signal and dispatched three captains as a precautionary measure. The group, save Ulquiorra, stepped out of the portal, and turned to listen to Ulquiorra's parting words.

"Please remember, that from this point forward, if you enter Hueco Mundo once again, not only will you be considered enemies, but you will also be actively hunted, by Espada no doubt. So, I would recommend that at your current power levels that you not attempt to return to Hueco Mundo, even to find your nakama. Until we meet again."

Garganta then closed up, causing Ulquiorra to disappear from their sight. The group then turned towards Urahara Kisuke, whose face was, as usual, hidden behind his fan.

"Welcome back! It seems you've surpassed all my expectations! You've managed to come back more or less intact, and with Inoue-san in tow! But you guys don't seem too happy? Anything wrong?"

Orihime then burst into another fit of tears. He briefly wondered why. And then he blinked, and noticed something was slightly off. He realized what it was, and his face suddenly darkened.

"Oh. I see. I'm sorry."

That was his simple reply, but no one could say anything in response. All they could hear were the silent sobs of Orihime. Then, suddenly, another portal opened next to them. For a second, the ground thought that the arrancar had changed their minds and come to attack them. But after a second they realized it was the portal utilized by Shinigami to travel to the human world. As soon as it opened, out stepped three Shinigami captains, specifically, Hitsugaya Toushirou, Zaraki Kenpachi, and Kuchiki Byakuya. They looked like they were ready for a battle. Zaraki in particular looked rather disappointed when he noticed there were no enemies around.

"Damn. And I came here expecting a good fight."

"Kuchiki-taicho!"

Renji saluted his captain. He felt much better now, knowing that he wouldn't have the death of Rukia on his conscious. Byakuya nodded at him, which was about as much gratitude as Renji was going to get for protecting Rukia.

"Nii-san!"

Rukia jumped to hug Byakuya, and with a smile plastered on her face, she nodded when Byakuya asked her if she was alright. Renji was a little jealous of his captain, but he figured it was normal for siblings to do that. Byakuya quickly composed himself and turned to Renji.

"Report!"

Renji once again saluted, and began his report.

"As you can see, we succeeded in our mission to safely recover Inoue Orihime from captivity at the hands of the traitor Aizen Sousuke. In the process, we were able to destroy the Hougyoku, effectively eliminating Aizen Sousuke's ability not only create more arrancar, but also to create the ouken, Aizen's true objective. As a bonus, we were also able to eliminate one of the ten Espada, in particular, the Noveno Espada, Aaroniero Arleri."

Renji paused, and glanced sadly at Orihime for a split second. He truly felt sorry for her. She was obviously in love with Ichigo.

"Unfortunately, we were unable to return with Kurosaki Ichigo, and his current whereabouts and status are unknown. We have reason to believe that he is still alive, but unfortunately we have no proof to sustain this."

Despite the fact that most of them already knew that much, to have the words come out of one of their mouths served to cement the fact, as if it hadn't really been true until those words were said. It only caused Orihime to start another fit of pathetic sobbing. Byakuya spoke up, as if unfazed by such news.

"I see. Regardless, you are to return immediately to Soul Society by order of General Commander Yamamoto. You are hereby banned from returning to the human world for a period of three months. You will receive your debriefing when you return to the Seireitei. Are your orders clear?"

Rukia in particular appeared to be surprised by such orders, but knowing how Soul Society functioned, she thought it lucky to get off just with that, regardless of the fact that they had come here under the 'orders' of her brother. Renji was not surprised in the least with the news however, but still said nothing. Byakuya appeared as if he was about to repeat himself, when Renji replied in a low voice.

"Yes sir, Kuchiki-taicho."

Byakuya then looked down at Rukia, who looked somewhat saddened at such news. But as she turned to Renji, and then back at her brother, she knew that it would no good to object, and so she should just accept it for the time being.

"I understand, Nii-san."

"Very well, you are to return with us immediately."

They both nodded. They walked over to Orihime in an attempt to comfort her, but she didn't even move to acknowledge their presence. They looked at each other with a saddened expression, and then with a quick wave to rest of the group, turned and walked into the portal. Zaraki and Hitsugaya then followed them in, and Byakuya stayed for a little longer to relay to them the orders of Soul Society.

"In addition, Inoue Orihime is to be placed under the immediate protection of Soul Society. So as to not interfere with her normal life, we will dispatch no less than two Shinigami captains and four vice captains to protect her at all times."

Orihime said nothing, but she nodded her head ever so slightly to acknowledge that she had heard him. She was in no mood to argue with him anyway. It wasn't like he could anything anyway. The decision probably came from the top, from Yamamoto himself. Byakuya then stepped into the portal without another word, and left the group to their own thoughts. Urahara then approached the group and lowered his fan.

"Maybe we should head back to my shop. It's going to rain soon."

Everyone stared intently at Orihime. They wondered what she had been thinking about ever since they left Aizen's throne room. They could only begin to guess as they watched her rise, and begin what she would later call one of the longest walks of her life.

* * *

"DAMNIT!"

Ichigo collapsed into the sand. He had been walking for hours nonstop, and didn't have the energy to keep going. He knew it was a horribly bad idea to lie down in the desert, and much less sleep, but he couldn't help it. He was too tired. He sensed a presence, but it was so faint, he thought it had to have been his imagination. And so, despite his mental objections, he gave in to his body's desire and went to sleep in the desert of Hueco Mundo.

* * *

**Expect Chapter 3 within the next week. The ideas just keep rolling in, so it should be ready by then.**


	3. When the sun shines black

**Here's Chapter 3! I could have had this finished and posted MUCH sooner, but I got distracted by other things (not to mention the fact that I didn't like this chapter no matter how I wrote it, so I ended up delaying it even more). Either way, it's here now, so, enjoy!**

**

* * *

**Urahara stepped into his shop and made way so the other's could enter as well. Uryu entered first, followed by Chad, and finally a sobbing Orihime. After closing the entrance and locking up the shop, Urahara led the group over to the back of his shop, where he promptly asked Tessai to make some tea. After everyone was more or less settled down, the question's began rolling out. 

"I know it's probably not the appropriate time to be asking this, but, what exactly happened in Hueco Mundo?"

This time, Orihime didn't react. She simple stared down at her hands as if she had failed to grasp something that was within her reach. Uryu felt truly sorry for her. She was taking this whole situation harder than anybody else. Still, he decided he should tell Urahara everything he knew to the best of his ability. He did so, pausing every so often to see how Orihime had reacted. However, she remained quiet and showed no visible change. Urahara had simply stared at him, as if having expected more or less everything Uryu had said up to that point. Chad was also listening intently, since he had been knocked out for that latter half of the incident. However, everyone began listening more intently as the story neared it's close.

"After our short fight with Grantz, he left to supposedly think of a strategy to kill us. Abarai-kun and I used the opportunity to escape his chamber and go after Inoue-san's reiatsu, which we sensed moving in the direction that we had previously sensed Kurosaki's reiatsu. We sensed a huge hollow reiatsu build up and then quiet down, followed by signs of a struggle, but by the time we arrived, whatever had happened was already over."

"Ishida-kun, if it's alright with you, I'll finish the story."

Everyone turned in Orihime's direction, surprised that she had spoken out despite the condition she was in. Uryu nodded in her direction, not having expected Orihime of all people to speak up. They waited intently, as Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu stepped into the room to serve tea. They sat down to listen to the rest of the story, which they had heard small portions of from the kitchen. They all looked at Orihime intently. She started from the beginning, when Ichigo and the others had entered Hueco Mundo, but from her own perspective. However, she paused for a significant amount of time when she got to the part that Uryu had left off on. No one said anything, however, not wanting to make Orihime feel pressured or uncomfortable.

* * *

"Ugh...my head..."

Ichigo raised his hand to his temple and rubbed it gently in an attempt to alleviate the light pain he felt on his forehead. He opened his eyes slowly, and jumped up in surprise when he realized he was not in the desert he had fallen asleep in. He looked around slowly and wondered briefly if he had been captured by the arrancar. He figured that probably wasn't the case, since they would like have tied him up and placed him in some kind of prison. This place certainly didn't look like a prison.

"Where the hell is this place?"

"Oh, so you're finally up?"

Ichigo whirled around in surprise at the sound of someone elses voice. He scrutinized the person standing before him. It was a woman, whol looked to be in about her mid-thirties. She was dressed in a variety of thick robe, which made her gender difficult to distinguish at first, but her obvious female features gave her away, in a particular, her breasts.

'Why the hell am I thinking about something like that?'

Ichigo shook his head to clear his thoughts, and then spoke up, thinking it would be useless to just sit around and stare like an idiot.

"Who are you?"

The woman regarded him with a cool gaze, removing a robe that was covering her face. She began removing more robes until she had nothing on but one robe to cover her body. Ichigo tried his best to ignore this as he looked at the woman intently, waiting for her answer.

"Me? I'm the one who saved you from the desert. You're kinda stupid you know that, taking a nap in the desert."

"Shut up! Just tell me who you are!"

She looked at him with that same cool gaze she wore before. She smiled gently, her silky brown hair swaying slightly as she walked up to Ichigo. A small blush crept on his face due to the close proximity of their bodies, but he said nothing.

"I don't have a name, now that I think about it. Feel free to call me whatever you wish."

Ichigo appeared rather dumbfounded at such a response, but swallowed the lump in his throat as the woman looked at him intently and opened her mouth to speak.

"What's your name, shinigami?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes slightly at the 'shingami' comment, feeling rather uneased, but he figured just about everyone in Hueco Mundo knew what a shinigami looked like, so he pushed the thought aside.

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. And I suppose shinigami wouldn't be an accurate term anymore."

"Really, why would you say that?"

"Well, it's a long story, but I'm something kinda different from a shinigami. I'm a vizard.

The woman's eyes widened considerably for a split second, but the look soon passed and was replaced by her cool gaze once more.

"Well, Kurosaki-san, what brings someone like you out here to Hueco Mundo?"

"Well, that's another long story, but from the look on your face, I can tell that there's nothing but time around here."

She simply nodded with a smile and sat down next to Ichigo. He also told the same story that Uryu and Orihime were telling the Urahara Shoten crew in the human realm.

* * *

Orihime swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat when she thought about what had happened in Las Noches again, but she thought that it would be best to get this off her chest, so that maybe, Urahara could devise some great plan to get her Kurosaki-kun back. Her eyes widened ever so slightly as she repeated that last part in her mind.

'My...Kurosaki-kun?'

A slight blush crept to her face when that thought crossed her mind, but the reality of the situation soon resettled itself in her thoughts, and her expression became dark as she noticed the stares of the crew of the Urahara Shouten and her friends.

"I'm sorry for spacing out. I'll continue now."

Still no one said a word, some only nodded slightly.

"As I was saying, as Grimmjow led me through the halls of Las Noches, he led me to a clearing, which was where I had sensed Kurosaki-kun's reiatsu disappear. When I arrived there, I was left in utter shock at what I saw. Kurosaki-kun was standing there, and his skin, his shihakusho, his zanpakuto, they were all pure ivory white. But what truly shocked me were his eyes. They were the eyes of a hollow. I could not quite understand what was going on, and I still don't think I quite understand what had happened. The next thing I knew, Kurosaki-kun and Grimmjow were fighting, and in only a few seconds, Grimmjow was on the floor in a bloody heap. I don't quite remember what they said to each other, but within a few seconds, Kurosaki-kun turned towards me and walked right up to me. He said that Ichigo was sleeping, deep inside of him. I didn't understanding what he meant. I decided to follow him despite the situation, and he agreed so long as I showed him how to reach Aizen's throne room."

She paused to take a breather. The next part of the story would be the hardest to say. But, she reassured herself it was for the best, and continued with silent determination.

"Once we got there, Kurosaki-kun and Aizen started fighting. The fight probably lasted for a few minutes, but eventually, Aizen was beaten. I took the opportunity to undo the seal on the Hougyoku, and completely erase it's existance."

Urahara's expression shifted from surprise, to happiness, and then back to indifference as Orihime continued the story.

"Afterwards, another Espada, Noitora, showed up, but Kurosaki-kun killed him."

She siad those last two words with a pained expression. They group once again reminded itself that Orihime did not like pain or death, even when it was an enemy that suffered it. Despite this, she continued without stopping, much to their surprise.

"After a moment or so, another Espada, Ulquiorra, the one who took me to Hueco Mundo in the first place, showed up. I don't remember what exactly Kurosaki-kun told him, but they started to fight, and Kurosaki-kun defeated him as well."

She once again paused. Uryu knew why. He had walked in right when it happened. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but as the scene replayed itself in his mind, a chill jolted through his spine. He had truly felt genuine fear at that moment. A fear so intense that he could not react in any way. He had never witnessed anything quite like it. It was madness. Meanginless slaughter, just for the sake of seeing an opponents blood spill. It horrified him. But again, it was not something he would ever mention to anyone else. It was something he would leave in his memories, locked away forever.

"And then...Kurosaki-kun killed him too. He cut him into small pieces, until they were too small to cut. And there was blood...so much blood...it was horrible..."

She began another stream of sobs and tears. Again, no one said a word.

"Why would Kurosaki-kun do that? I don't understand, he was always so kind and caring. He was never so violent and bloodthirsty, even when he was fighting. So why? What reason would he have to do that to an opponent who couldn't even fight...please, someone explain it to me...I just don't understand anymore. I...I...don't know what to do..."

She started wailing loudly now, as if she were a small girl. At that moment, Orihime felt like just that, a little girl who couldn't do a thing no matter how hard she tried or how much she wanted to help. She felt pathetic, useless, and afraid. However, what she heard next is what really hit her hard. Urahara spoke up, his eyes sheilded from everyone's view by his hat.

"Inoue-san. I'm sorry, I know how you feel, but nothing can be done now."

Everyone looked up at Urahara Kisuke in surprise. They could not tell what he was thinking or what emotion was gracing his features. His hat hid his expression too well.

"I know, that you're probably assuming that I'll be able to come up with some kind of rescue plan based on the information you've given me, but I'm afraid that it isn't possible. First off, for starters, we have no idea where Kurosaki-san is. Based on everything I've heard so far, he ran off and disappeared alltogether, meaning he probably isn't even in Las Noches."

Orihime stared at him wide-eyed, trying to take it all in, and failing miserably. Everone else, save Yoruichi, looked at him somewhat surprised.

"I know I've probably never told you this before, but I have already been to Hueco Mundo, and am quite familiar with it's topography. Hueco Mundo is mostly desert. A large desert as far as the eye can see. If someone were to get lost in that desert, the probability of that person finding his way out, is as close to zero as it gets. Furthermore, I'm sure you have not forgotten that arrancar's earlier threat. If you return to Hueco Mundo, the you will be not only treated as enemies, but actively hunted by the Espada themselves. It would be a pointless effort to not only try to find Kurosaki-san in the infinite desert of Hueco Mundo, but doing so while being chased by Espada would be suicidal at best. As such, I cannot allow you to conduct such a foolish operation."

Orihime could not believe what she had just heard, but her thoughts darkened considerably as the seconds ticked by.

'Of course, what would he care about it? He only helps for his own personal gain and amusement!'

With that thought, she walked over to Urahara, and to everyone's surprise, she slapped him. Hard.

"And what? You just expect me to abandon him? Just like that, forget he even existed? How could you possibly expect me to do that to him?"

Her yelling suddenly stopped, and she did something that no one thought she was even capable of doing. She lifted her head, and with an expression of pure anger and hatred, she spoke in a low, dangerous voice.

"You're the worst kind of scum. I _**hate**_ you, Urahara Kisuke."

And with those words, she turned around and stormed out. It was already raining outside. No one had noticed when it began, but that was the last thing on everyone's mind as they stared at the door where Orihime had just exited. And then, everyone turned expectantly at Urahara, who just sat silently, and said nothing.

* * *

Ichigo was just about to wrap up his story, the woman next to him listening intently. They had sat there for hours, Ichigo explaining the minor details of his story. He even included the parts that involved Ogichi, figuring that there was no point to omitting such details at that point in time. He had learned to accept the fate that he was burdened with rather than try to cover it up or forget it existed. That would get him nowhere. The woman only listened intently, interrupting Ichigo every now and then to ask a question when she didn't quite understand something, but she generally remained quiet.

"Well, and after that, I regained control of my body out in the desert. I wandered around for maybe a day or so, I guess, and then I fell asleep in desert. I'd imagine that's when you found me and brought be back here."

"Hmm...yes, I found you by coincidence really. I had seen some hollows gathering around you and wondered what was going on. Hollows don't usually gather up together like that, especially in Hueco Mundo. So I decided to check it out. You're lucky I found you when I did, or you would have been dead."

Ichigo nodded, and then something quickly crossed his mind. He hadn't thought about it before, but as the situation became clearer to him, it finally dawned on him that something was way off with this picture.

"Say, you're not a hollow, are you? What are you doing here in Hueco Mundo?"

The woman gazed at him with a smile on her face, as if she had been expecting that question right from the get go.

"It took you long enough to figure it out. But you're right, I'm not a hollow, nor do I have any type of affiliation with Hueco Mundo."

"So then, what are you?"

Her smile grew wider, and she surpressed the urge to laugh. It had been a long time since she had a conversation with someone. But that wasn't why she was smiling. However, she wanted to have a little bit a fun before revealing anything. But she had to be quick. After all, she did have her orders.

"That...is a secret."

"...?"

"Here...come with me for a second."

With that, she got up and began walking into one of the many corridors in the chamber, which Ichigo had just now gotten a good look at.

"Are you coming or not?"

"Uh...yeah. Sorry."

Ichigo quickly got up, surprisingly feeling much better, and followed the woman to through the dark corridor.

* * *

All Orihime could do was run. She ran and ran, as far and fast as she could, wherever her feet would take her. She was being soaked to the core, but she didn't care. All she could think about was how she had failed. Despite the promise she had made to herself, to protect her friends, she had failed. She now understood how Kurosaki-kun must have felt. The feeling of self-loathing was overwhelming. But, to make matters worse, she had failed the one person she would have have given everything up to save. The man she loved more than anyone else. She couldn't take it. So all she could do was run. However, soon, her mind caught up with her body, and the fatigue from everything that had happened so far hit her like a boulder. She slowed to a halt and almost collapsed. Out of breath, she turned her head towards the sky and felt the ice cold rain hit her face.

'It's like the sky is crying. Could it be crying for him as well?'

It was then that the thought of looking around to figure out where she was occured to her. And as she looked down, she let out a gasp and then collapsed on the ground in another round of tears. It would seem that someone really had it out for her. Someone must truly hate her to twist fate this way and make her suffer. And so, she continued to cry, as the sign above her head was continuously being pelted by the rain. The sign read "Kurosaki Clinic".

* * *

Isshin Kurosaki was busy filling out paperwork when it had started raining. He had just put Yuzu and Karin to bed, and was busying himself organizing his office and preparing the necessary items in case someone barged in for emergency treatment. It didn't happen all the often, probably once once every two months or so, at most. But it always helped to keep it ready. You never knew when someone might need treatment. Once he had finished, he noticed how late it was. He was slightly concerned. He too, had felt the arrival of Ichigo's friends, but he could not feel Ichigo's presence at all. It worried him to no end, but he knew he would probably find out from Urahara if anything happened. Plus, he believed in his son. That was enough for him for the moment. However, after a few minutes had passed and he went to the door to make sure it was locked, he heard someone crying outside. He then recongnized the reiatsu signature, and decided it would be best to check it out. Opening the door, he looked outside and confirmed his suspicions.

"Hey, aren't you Orihime-chan?"

The girl looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from what he guessed was constant crying. A slight chill ran up his spine as he feared for the worst. If she was here, crying her eyes out, and Ichigo wasn't...it didn't take a genius to connect the dots, and then Isshin feared for the worst.

"Hey, you shouldn't stay in the rain. You'll catch a cold. Come on in."

His voice lacked it's usual wacky charm. Instead, it was serious, grave almost. Orihime stood there for a moment, the last of her tears rolling out of her eyes. She wondered why she had ended up here of all places. However, as she watched Isshin gesture for her to enter, she felt her feet move automatically. As soon as she stepped inside, she felt the cold hit her skin like a sharp knife. She was freezing. Isshin, not having missed her sudden shiver, closed and locked the door, and turned towards his own room.

"Wait here, I'll get you a change of clothes."

Isshin disappeared behind a door for about a minute or so, and then returned with women's clothes, much to Orihime's surprise.

"This belonged to my wife before she died, but it's OK. Please change out of those clothes and wear this, or you'll get sick."

'Besides, she probably would have done the same thing if she were alive.'

Orihime didn't object, silently nodding and heading towards the changing room, which Isshin had been kind enough to point out without her having to ask. As she entered, she realized another thing. She was still in the outfit she had been given in Hueco Mundo. As this thought dawned upon her, she began removing each piece desperately, as if it burned her skin to have it on. As she removed the last piece and threw it on the ground, she fell to the floor slightly out of breath and yet again began to sob. She curled up into a ball on the floor, wet and naked. She wrapped her arms around herself as if seeking warmth, but she failed to find any. After a moment, she opened her eyes and got up. Looking around, she found a rack of towels and picked one up, using it to dry her skin. Once she was completely dry, she turned and picked up the clothes she had carelessly dropped in her rush to remove the arrancar clothes. She slowly put on the simple dress she had been given, and walked out of the changing room.

Isshin had been waiting near the door for Orihime to step out, and when she did, he made a gesture with his hand, telling her to follow him. She did so, and was silent as she was led through the Kurosaki Clinic. Isshin made sure to lead her as far away from the girls upstairs as possible, so as to not disturb their sleep with what would surely be bad news. Isshin led her to one of the patient rooms near the far end of the clinic. When she entered, he closed the door as silently as he could possibly manage. Turning on the light, he gestured at Orihime.

"Take a seat wherever you like."

She simply nodded, and sat down. Come to think of it, she had not said much since she got here, and yet she was being led through the clinic as if she were going to tell a long story. Perhaps Kurosaki-kun's family really was as perceptive as the others claimed.

"Now...let me guess. Something happend to Ichigo, right?"

She bit her lip, as if hesitant to say anything. However, she once again swallowed the lump forming in her throat and held back her tears.

"Yes. He..."

She paused, trying to form the words storming through her head into a single understandable thought. She calmed herself, and after a few seconds, she spoke up again.

"Kurosaki-kun is still in Hueco Mundo, and we have no way to get him back."

What else was there to say? Those words, despite how simple they sounded, pretty much summed up the entire situation. Isshin merely looked at her, a surprised, but still goofy expression on his face. He burst out into a fit of laughter, much to Orihime's surprise, as she simple stared at him with a stupefied look on her face.

"That's it? Wow, and here you had me worried for a second!"

"W-what?"

After a last string of laughter, Isshin calmed down, and looked at Orihime with a smile and reassuring eyes.

"I wouldn't worry about Ichigo. And here I thought you were gonna tell me he was dead or something."

"But...!"

Isshin lifted his finger and waved it to and fro, while shaking his head in much the same manner. His expression suddenly became serious, but he still had a smile and those same reassuring eyes, which she had seen so many times on Kurosaki-kun's face.

"I wouldn't worry about Ichigo. He's strong. He won't die so easily. And I'm sure that wherever he is, he'll find his way back here. All we have to do is believe in him, and his success. Like you said, there isn't much else we can do from here."

She didn't know what to say, so she simply nodded. He was right, she couldn't continue to cry and feel sorry fer herself. Such thoughts would get her nowhere. She had to believe in Kurosaki-kun. And so, the determination returned to her eyes.

"Wow, Kurosaki-san! You really are a great doctor! I feel better already!"

"What? Really? Uh...I mean, of course I am! I'm the best doctor around!"

He went on to continue laughing and bragging about himself. Orihime smiled. And then a thought occured to her that she hadn't really considered before.

"Wait a minute! How do you know about Hueco Mundo?"

Isshin suddenly stopped and froze. He wore an expression on his face as if he had spilled the beans on a HUGE secret.

"Uh...yeah, you should get some sleep. Feel free to stay in this room. We can't have you going out in the rain and catching a cold."

"Oh yeah, you're right! But wait...I have school tomorrow!"

Isshin paused to consider for a moment.

"I guess I could wake you up early. Either way I have to get up early in the morning to make sure everything is in working order."

"I guess that's OK..."

Isshin smiled. He turned around and began to head out the door.

"That's my boy, Ichigo! You brought such a cute girl to our humble home! I'm proud of ya son!"

Although he was talking to thin air, Orihime could tell he just said it to further lighten the mood. Even so, a blush still found it's way onto her cheeks. And then she remembered something.

"Hey! He never answered my question!"

However, she thought it didn't matter either way. She felt so much better now. She was still worried, but now she had been given hope, and from an unlikely source. Perhaps fate was much kinder than it appeared. Her last thoughts before falling asleep were of Ichigo, and his smiling face that always served to reassure her whenever she needed support.

* * *

"Hey, where are we going?"

Ichigo's patience was wearing thin. After at least half an hour of walking through a single corridor, Ichigo was fed up.

"And why is this damn corridor so friggin' long?"

The woman did not stop, nor did she turn to look at him. It was as if she was completely ignoring him. He was about to ask another stupid question, when the woman spoke up.

"All will be revealed when we get to our destination. Have patience."

Ichigo simply grunted in response, not satisfied with the answer, but having the brains to deduce that it was the best reply he would probably get from the woman. After a few more minutes of walking through the dark corridor, they finally came upon what appeared to be a large empty room. Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise at the sheer size of it. It was even bigger than Urahara's training ground under his shop.

"Let's play a game, Kurosaki-san..."

"What? A game?"

She smiled. This was going to be fun.

"Yes. A game. I'm a big fan of games, and I don't get to play very often. So, will you please be a gentleman and indulge me?"

Ichigo was somewhat confused, but he thought it best to play along. Surely there was some kind of purpose to this game? In his opinion, this was all happening way too fast. He had just met this woman and already they were jumping into strange activities? It all seemed a little suspicious to him, but again, he thought it best to play along for the time being. It wasn't like he had any other options at the time.

"Sure, I guess. What kind of game is it?"

"Simple. I'll tell you everything you want to know about me, if you can land a single blow on my body."

"What the heck? What kind of game is that?"

She smiled again.

'Ah, to be young and naive!'

"Simple. If you can hit me, I'll answer any question you ask me. It's not that hard to figure out is it?"

Now he was getting frustrated. What in the world was she up to? He didn't have time to think about it when she materialized a spear out of thin air and got into an offensive stance.

"Are you ready?"

He was more confused now than ever, but he wouldn't exactly back down now. He would find out what this woman was up to one way or another. He didn't say a word as he drew Zangetsu, which he had picked up earlier from beside his 'bed', and charged at the woman. Again she smiled, and disappeared. Ichigo blinked in surprise as he hit the ground, which received no damage despite taking a direct blow. He whirled around in an attempt to find the woman, but to no avail.

"Damn!"

He frantically searched in all directions, but he could neither see nor sense where she was. Suddenly, she appeared behind him with the spear pointed straight at him.

"Too slow!"

Ichigo barely had time to react, and dodged a fatal blow by a mere hairs width. However, he was still hit and fell to one knee as blood splattered all over the floor. He couged up blood, and his eyes widened when the woman appeared in front of him. He could hear her laughing, but coudln't bring himself to face her.

"Is that really all you have? I thought a vizard would be more powerful than this. I guess the rumors I've heard are false."

Ichigo took the opportunity to try and attack, but his injury slowed him considerably, and the woman merely dodged. Her expression became neutral, and she spoke in an equally neutral voice.

"If you're really a vizard, show me the full extent of your powers. Don your hollow mask. If you don't, you'll die."

Those words hit him like a slap in the face. This woman was obviously much more than she appeared to be. But what in the world was she? He had never felt a reiatsu like this one before. He grabbed Zangetsu and used to get back up on his feet. From that one attack, he could tell that his shikai wouldn't be enough to even lay a single blow on her. He would have to use bankai. He began charging up his reiatsu.

"Oh? I see you're trying to keep this interesting for me."

"Bankai!"

A cloud of smoke enveloped Ichigo and the woman, and as it slowly dissipated and both of their forms appeared, the woman looked on with a slightly surprised expression on her face.

"Tensa Zangetsu."

"Oh my. You have quite a special zanpakuto. I've never seen a bankai that gets smaller instead of bigger. Perhaps you'll keep this more interesting than I thought."

Ichigo didn't say a word as he used shunpo, along with Tensa Zangetsu's huge speed increase, to appear behind the woman. However, she didn't seem to be the least bit surprised at his sudden speed boost.

"I see! You're zanpakuto condenses your reiatsu into a small space, allowing you to move at drastically accelerated speeds while maximizing the power of your zanpakuto attacks. Quite impressive for a kid like you."

Ichigo cursed as they clashed sword and spear. She had figured it out in that one instant? Who the hell was she? Ichigo found himself asking that question alot.

"Hey, Kurosaki-san? You still haven't landed a blow on me. And look, you're all cut up now."

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at himself. It was true. He had received several blows without even realizing it. Blood now completely soaked his shihakusho. He had been careless.

_"You're always careless, king."_

'Not you! I don't have time for you now!'

_"What are you talking about? You're getting beat like a little girl! Just let me take over. I can take care of her no problem!"_

'Damnit! Go away!'

"What's the matter Kurosaki-san? You're spacing out on me. Like I said, if you don't bring out your hollow powers, there isn't a chance for you to lay a single blow on me."

Ichigo cursed under his breath. It looked like he didn't have much of a choice anyway. He wondered briefly if he really had enough strength to use it again, but pushed the thought aside as he placed the mask on his face, causing a drastic spike in his reiatsu.

"Here I go!"

He appeared behind the woman in an instant. She threw herself on the ground to dodge the oncoming blow, and quickly recovered. She grabbed her spear and placed herself in a defensive position. Ichigo appeared in front of her, then behind her, and then a multitude of sillouettes appeared in all directions, circling her like sharks.

"..."

She didn't say a word, carefully observing his movements to find the real one. However, she did not move, she simply remained in her defensive position. If she took the offensive, she knew she would probably lose. Badly. The sillouettes disappeared and Ichigo reappeared a few feet in front of her. She wondered for a second what he would do from there, but didn't have to wait long to find out.

"Getsuge Tenshou!"

The black Getsuga Tenshou sliced through the air with alarming speed, but the woman was ready used her spear to deflect it. Much to her surprise, however, the immense power she had deflected was too much for the spear, and it shattered instantly. No more than a second later, Ichigo appeared behind her and was going to slash her with Tensa Zangetsu.

"Shit!"

With nowhere to run and no weapon to defend herself, she prepared herself for the worst. However, the blow never came as Ichigo's hollow mask decided to break right then and there. The woman's shock was soon replaced with a smile as she kicked Ichigo away. She then produced another spear out of thin air, but didn't bother to enter any kind of position of attack. She just stood there with a mocking grin on her face.

"I must admit, your vizard powers are indeed impressive, but it looks like you're too weak to control them. I wonder...your inner hollow seems to have a pretty good grasp of all your powers. Perhaps I should force him out then?"

Ichigo only stared at the ground with a shocked expression on his face, but could say nothing in response. If she really wanted to do that, she probably could. He could already feel his control slipping as his body continued to weaken with every passing moment.

_"Yeah king, maybe you should let me take the spotlight. I can land a hit on her no problem! And then I'll slice her up to little pieces just like that dumbass Espada with the creepy face!"_

'Shut up...I don't want to listen to you anymore...'

Ichigo's voice, even in his mind, lacked any strength. He was control was slipping away...he was too weak.

'Damn...damn...damn...'

_"Blah blah blah! You talk too much! It's my turn again, king. Let's have some fun, shall we?"_

Ichigo lost control once again, and Ogichi smiled as Ichigo's body began to change again. Once the body had fully transformed, Ichigo's wounds all healed instantaneously. Ogichi laughed in delight. He could fight and kill again.

_"Damn..."_

'I said you talk too much, king! Just shut up and watch.'

"Hey girl! You ready to get your ass kicked?"

The woman stared at him in utter shock. She hadn't expected this kind of transformation. He had completely changed, down to the color of his skin and eyes. This figure before him looked at her menacingly, with a sadistic smile plastered on his face.

"You ready, girl? I don't have all day, you know."

As he said this, he charged his reiatsu up to incredible levels, bringing the woman down to her knees. She struggled to look up at him. That same smile was still plastered on his face. Was he really enjoying this pointless show of strength? He acted just like any other hollow would. Pathetic.

"What's with that look on yer face, eh? I don't like it."

He let out another laugh as he picked up Tensa Zangetsu, which Ichigo had dropped when he blacked out.

"Let me carve out a better one."

He calmly walked over to her. His heavy reiatsu restricted all her movement. A slight fear crept through her body. However, she still had a trump card that she kept just for this kind of situation. She had already heard of the vizards, and knew exactly how their souls functioned, which was, needless to say, very different from any other kind of soul. If her theory was correct, than she had an offer this hollow couldn't refuse.

"Wait!"

He stopped, curious as to what the girl could possibly have to say. It wouldn't hurt to listen. There wasn't much she could anyway, or so he figured. The girl looked up at him, and with a smile on her face, told him something that interested him enough to stop charging his reiatsu and let the woman move about.

"What if I told you that I had a way for you to remain in control of that body permanently?"

His expression was somewhat surprised. He didn't smile, but simply looked at her with a curious expression.

"I'm listening."

She pulled a small black necklace, with a strange black orb attached to it. It looked like a cloud was moving inside of it. Ogichi eyed it suspiciously.

"What the hell is it?"

She smiled. Hook, line, and sinker.

"This is a spirit control device. It allows the user to bring any one soul it choses under his or her control. Pretty nifty, eh?"

"Why the fuck would I need something like that?"

Was he stupid or something? Oh well, if she succeeded it wouldn't matter how stupid he was.

"Wouldn't you like to bring Kurosaki Ichigo under your control and keep that body as your own forever?"

Ogichi's face brightened at the mere thought of it. He could imagine it now. He could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted to, and his 'king' couldn't do a thing about it. It almost sounded too good to be true. But...

"What's the catch?"

'I guess he isn't as stupid as I thought. Oh well, works for me either way.'

"Well, to keep it simple, if you help me complete my mission, I'll let you keep it."

"What kind of mission?"

"To kill Aizen Sousuke. This is the official mission given to me, a member of the Royal Guard, by the king of Soul Society."

Ogichi smiled again. This was too perfect. He was glad he hadn't killed Aizen before. He might not have had the opportunity to get this 'device' otherwise.

"Unfortunately, I went to observe and gather intel in Las Noches, only to discover it was no longer there. More than likely, Aizen Sousuke somehow managed to move it to keep his whereabouts hidden."

Ogichi frowned. This conversation was straying off-topic. He didn't really give a shit about Aizen, he just wanted that device.

"Whatever. I don't care about your mission or any of that bullshit. I just want that device. The only reason I haven't killed you and taken it for myself is 'cause I don't know how the dumb thing works."

The woman regarded him cooly. She was certain those words were true. It's not like he had any reason to lie anyway.

"First, we'll have to enter your inner world..."

"Huh?"

Ogichi didn't have enough time to react as a hand was placed in front of his face, and he suddenly blacked out...

* * *

When Ogichi woke up, he was in Ichigo's inner world. He got up and looked around, dazed and slightly confused. Had he lost control? He highly doubted it. As he looked around, he immediately noticed something was amiss.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

The woman smiled. She supposed his surprise was understandable. Not just anyone could willingly enter another person's soul without damanging it.

"Helping you of course."

She once again pulled out the necklace from her robes. She walked over to Ichigo's 'body', which was lying unconcious on the sideways building. She placed the black orb hanging off the necklace on his forehead, and stepped back. Ogichi was about to protest as to what she was doing, but kept his mouth shut as a strange light engulfed Ichigo. He suddenly opened his eyes and began a fit of screaming and thrashing. Ogichi was stunned.

"..."

After a few minutes of this, he finally stopped, and the necklace came out of Ichigo's head, and floated over into the woman's hand. She looked at it for but a moment, and then walked over to Ogichi. She placed the necklace in his hand. He eyed it warily, fearing it would have a similar effect on him, but nothing happened as he just stared at it. The woman looked at him intently to see if there was any change in his expression, but she saw nothing but an emotionless mask of indifference. She decided to tell him how the necklace worked.

"Inside of that necklace you have are the memories of Kurosaki Ichigo, sealed up so that his body becomes nothing but a lifeless doll. And as long you are in possession of that necklace, you will be in complete control of his soul, including all of it's latent powers."

Ogichi continued to stare at the necklace. Did it really do everything that she claimed. The story seemed somewhat suspicious.

"All you have to do is put it on, and it will take effect immediately."

Ogichi decided it was now or never, and placed the necklace around his neck. He looked over to see Ichigo's 'body' being encased in a large black crystal. Ogichi watched with a smile on his face. Things were starting to look up for him.

"So tell me. What's to stop me from killing you now?"

She laughed again. He really did catch on quick.

"That necklace is tied with my own life force. If I die, the necklace goes, along with it's wearer. Meaning, quite simply, if you kill me, you die as well."

"Che. I guess it can't be helped."

His awareness returned to Hueco Mundo, and he instantly felt the necklace around his neck. He could see a glimpse of Ichigo behind the thick black cloud. He grabbed the necklace and shoved it in his shihakusho. He then looked up at the woman.

"So what now? It looks like for the time being, you're my queen, eh?"

She smiled again. She sure was a happy person, Ogichi thought as a smug grin graced his face as well.

"I guess that's true. As for what we should do now...well."

Her face scrunched up in thought, as she planned out what to do next. There wasn't really much she could do, other than search for the new location of Las Noches. And surely Kurosaki's hollow would get restless sitting around until she found it. Well, she figured there was no way around it.

"I'm going to send you to the human world for the time being. It's probably the best option considering the circumstances. You will remain there until I come to get you. How does that sound?"

Ogichi didn't care either way, he was happy enough as it was for the time being. He was going to have so much fun.

"I don't care, it's up to you. Either way, I can't make too many demands. I'm guessing the only reason you chose me instead of that dumbass Ichigo is 'cause he wasn't strong enough. Am I right?"

She laughed.

"You are indeed a smart one."

She made the spear she was holding disappear, and clasped her hands together with an excited smile on her face.

"Alright! Now that we have that business settled, it's time to get you into the human world! And all of this happened alot faster than I thought! Why, it's only been about half a day since I found you!"

Ogichi just shrugged his shoulders, turning Zangetsu back into it's shikai form. He wrapped it in it's black bandages and placed it on his back. The woman turned to him once more.

"There's a couple more things I have to tell you. Take these two things and clip them on to your necklace."

Ogichi looked at the two orbs in the woman's hand. One was pure white, the other a dull gray, but aside from that, they looked exactly like the black one already hanging around his neck.

"What are these for?"

"The gray one will allow you to seal your zanpakuto completely. I noticed that your zanpakuto is a fulltime release type. This is a no-no. We can't have people noticing you that easily. The white one produces a cloak that significantly masks your reiatsu, as well as your facial features, making you even harder to recognize. They should come in handy when trying to avoid someone or something."

Ogichi eyed the two items in disgust.

"Don't want 'em."

"That's an order."

He was getting angry, but remembered his situation, and decided it would be best to just do as she said.

"Fine, gimme those."

Ogichi took them and clipped them on to his necklace as instructed. He frowned as Zangetsu turned into it's completely sealed form, resting on his belt like any other zanpakuto. A white cloak, which looked exactly like a Shinigami captain's cloak, was draped over him, complete with a hood to hide the upper portion of his face. He decided if he was going to hide, he might as well complete the set. And so, he materialized his hollow mask, which, in his current form, was nothing more than an accessory, and placed it on his face.

"How's this?"

She turned and began walking towards the same corridor that she had led Ichigo through.

"It's perfect. Now follow me, we have to get you to the human world as soon as possible so I can start my work."

Ogichi grumbled. He didn't like taking orders, especially from a weak girl, but the price was well worth it.

'Oh yeah, I'm gonna have some fun.'

* * *

Orihime had been awoken the next morning by Kurosaki Isshin, just as he had promised, at a fairly early hour. She had thanked him for everything and headed off towards her house. When she entered, she was surprised to find it empty and in the same condition she had left. Not a thing had been moved. Maybe Hitsugaya and Matsumoto had left after she had been taken to Hueco Mundo. Regardless, she went into her room slowly, taking in all the details of her home and commiting them to memory, as if she would never see them again. For all she knew, that might very well be the case. She silently went into her closet and picked out a school uniform. She had not been gone long, so everything was still in perfect condition. As she undressed, she made a mental note to return Kurosaki-san's clothes. She decided to take a quick shower, since she had some much spare time left. As she stepped in the shower and turned the water on, she felt all her worries being washed away like a stream. But thoughts of 'him' still plagued her.

'Kurosaki-kun...please come back to me soon...please...I don't know if I can take this any longer.'

She sat on the cold floor of the shower and curled up into a ball as the water continued to pelt her skin.

'Kurosaki-kun...I love you...I need you now more than ever...'

She didn't cry, only sat there curled into a ball with a faraway look in her eyes. All she saw was him. All she felt was him. And it felt to her, that he was drifting away. She couldn't tell how exactly, but she could feel him disappearing slowly. And she was afraid. Afraid that what she was feeling now was really happening.

'Kurosaki-kun...'

She blinked in surprise. She looked around and wondered how long she had been in the shower. As she dried herself off and stepped out of the shower, she went into her room and looked at the clock.

"Oh NO! I'm going to be late!"

* * *

The bell for class had just rang as everyone settled in. Uryu and Chad had somehow forced themselves to come to class, despite their injuries. They were, however, deeply concerned for Orihime, who had not answered her phone last night no matter how much they had called. They wondered if she would show up to school at all. They didn't think it was likely. However, to their surprise, they heard the entrance to the class burst open with a loud thud, and turned around in surprise to see Orihime standing there, nearly breathless from what they no doubt thought was running.

"Sorry I'm late, Ochi-sensei!"

"That's fine Inoue. You've been absent for a few days now. Anything happen?"

She blinked once. Then twice. Then replied in her usual cheerful voice.

"I've been away."

Ochi-sensei blined once. Then twice. Then replied indifferently.

"Whatever, just take your seat. You can get the notes from Arisawa later."

"Hai!"

Orihime walked happily to her seat, and was about to quietly greet her friends when she felt something strange. From the looks of things, Chad and Uryu had felt it too. It was faint, but it was definitely a hollow. She looked out the window and gasped in surprise as she saw Garganta open up in the sky near the center of Karakura.

"Inoue, what's wrong?"

Orihime simply made a mad dash for the door and left without a word, causing everyone to look over towards the door in surprise. Uryu and Chad also dashed out the door to follow Orihime. Were the arrancar attacking already? It didn't seem likely, but then again, the arrancar always proved to be somewhat unpredictable with their tactics, so they didn't really know what to assume. All they knew for sure was that something was coming out of Hueco Mundo and was in Karakura Town. Uryu and Chad eventually caught up with Orihime, who had gotten a considerable head start.

"Inoue!"

"Ishida-kun! Chad!"

"You shouldn't head out alone like that!"

"But what if it's Kurosaki-kun?"

Uryu hadn't really thought about that. It was a possibility, although not a very likely one. Perhaps Kurosaki really had found a way out of Hueco Mundo on his own? He couldn't be certain of anything anymore. There were just too many unpredictable variables.

"Either way, you shouldn't put yourself in danger that way. What if it's arrancar coming to wipe us out?"

Orihime said nothing as she continued to run. Uryu and Chad followed close behind, ready for anything. They felt two familiar reiatsu approach from behind.

"Urahara-san! Yoruichi-san!"

Urahara and Yoruichi appeared beside them, apparently ready for a battle. They weren't taking any chances this time around, it would seem. Orihime said nothing. Uryu figured she was till bitter after last night's 'meeting'.

"Well good morning! We've come to give you some backup. The reiatsu signature was rather weak, but we figured it best to not take any chances and allow a powerful enemy slip under our noses."

Uryu and Chad nodded, and the five continued to run towards the center of Karakura Town, where Garganta was already beginning to close.

* * *

Ogichi landed softly on the ground below. He was standing in an empty park. It was still morning from what he could tell. He looked around curiously. He decided to put that strange necklace to use, and searched through Ichigo's memories to find out where exactly he was.

'Ah. Central Park in Karakura Town. Heh. This necklace ain't bad.'

Now having the knowledge of where he was and the layout of Karakura town at the ready, he began to debate where to start to have fun. Unforutnately, he was very easily bored, and from what he could gather from Ichigo's memories, this town was about as dull as they came.

"Damn...why did I have to get sent here of all places?"

He already knew the answer to that question, but it made him feel better to complain, even if no one was listening. That was when he felt it. Five reiatsu signatures were approaching him. And they were rather large, for the most part. Now things were getting interesting.

"Ha ha...it seems I'm gonna get to have fun after all!"

As soon he said those words, five figures appeared at the entrace of the park, which his back was facing towards. The five figures stopped a few feet behind him, and he slowly turned his head to face them.

* * *

The group stepped into the clearing, and at first were confused. Whoever it was, was cloaked in a shingami captain's robe. However, upon closer inspection, they could easily see that this was no captain, nor a shinigami for that matter. The symbol on the robe was not a number, but a word. Urahara had voiced everyone's thoughts.

"Heaven?"

The figure had turned it's head towards them. However, a hood, as well as what appeared to be a hollow mask, hid all of his features.

"So it says something on the cloak, eh? Whatever, not my problem. All I have to do is wear the dumb thing. Doesn't matter what it says."

The group was surprised at the figure's bluntness. But they disregarded it quickly, and they all got into fighting stances. Orihime was disappointed, Uryu and Chad were tense, and both Urahara and Yoruichi appeared to know something the others didn't, but that was fairly normal to them at this point.

"..."

Orihime called out her Shun Shun Rikka. Uryu activated his bow. Chad powered up his arms, and Urahara awakened Benihime. Yoruichi simply got into a fighting stance. They were ready for whatever would be thrown at them.

* * *

Ogichi looked at them with amusement gracing his features. However, this was invisible to the group that now had it's weapons drawn ready to attack him.

"Well now, let's have some fun. Try your best to keep me entertained. I don't like boring fights."

As he said this, he drew his now sealed zanpakuto. He figured they would wait for him to make the first move, and not being the type to wait around, decided to indulge them and attack first.

"Now, which of you should I attack first. Inoue Orihime perhaps?"

Orihime gasped as the figure said her name. Everyone else was equally surprised, even Urahara, as he recited their names and even some of their abilities as he stood there, sword drawn, deciding who to attack.

"Your Shun Shun Rikka certainly are marvelous tools. Having seen them firsthand, I can see whay Aizen wanted them so bad."

Orihime was shocked to say the least. Ogichi looked over at Uryu.

"And you, Glasses! You're Quincy powers aren't bad either. I'll have to watch out for you."

Uryu visibly flinched.

"Sado Yasutora. Or should I call you Chad? Your arm technique is kinda stupid if you ask me, but it looks like you've made upgrades, so I'll have to be more careful with you too."

Chad, although he made no physical change, was inwardly surprised as well.

"Urahara Kisuke and Shihouin Yoruichi. Although I haven't seen too many of your abilities, I know you're both quite powerful. Oh well, I guess I'll find out sooner or later what you guys are capable of, eh?"

Urahara quickly recovered from his initial surprise and was the only one to respond.

"I guess that's true. Shall we get started?"

Ogichi smiled, but again, no one could see it behind his mask.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

He suddenly disappeared and reappeared beside Chad. He slashed at Chad's back and watched in satisfaction as he fell to the ground with a thud, his powered up arms dissipating into the air.

"Chad!"

Orihime was going to rush over to try and help Chad, but Yoruichi appeared beside her and stopped her.

"Fool! If you go to him he'll kill you!"

Orihime was going to protest, but she knew that Yoruichi was right. He had been so fast, she couldn't follow him at all. It was instantaneous. She watched in horror as the same thing happened to Uryu. As he fell to the ground she heard the figure speak.

"Heh. You shouldn't be rushing to battle if you haven't recovered from your injuries. But don't worry, I'll make the pain go away soon enough."

"Ishida-kun!"

Urahara had suddenly appeared behind him and tried to attack, but he dodged to the side. He produced his blood mist shield to protect him against frontal attack while he parried the figure's blade from behind. They continued to clash swords for what seemd like hours, but eventually Urahara slipped up and received a deep cut on his arm.

"Urahara-san!"

Orihime cursed at herself. Despite how far she had gotten, she was still weak. She was still destined to be an observer from the side, never really able to help when it really mattered most. Yoruichi rushed to Urahara's side to defend him, but Ogichi instead turned his sights on Orihime.

"Time to die, girly!"

Orihime's eyes widened in horror and time seemed to slow down as the figure raised his sword over Orihime's head. She slipped and fell in a fearful attempt to get away, and that was whe she saw them.

'His eyes...'

Orihime stared into his eyes for that small moment and time seemed to freeze. Ogichi hesitated, and Yoruichi took the opportunity to land a blow on him while he was distracted. He was knocked onto a nearby tree as it shattered and he landed on the ground. However, he quickly recovered before Yoruichi could continue her assault.

"Fuck!"

He turned to leave. He didn't know what possessed him to run from the battle, but he did so without looking back. He dashed out of the park and ran into the darkness of the night.

* * *

Urahara looked in the direction that the figure had gone. He then turned to Yoruichi and nodded. She nodded in reply, and began to chase the figure into the night. Urahara then turned to Orihime, and knelt beside her.

"Inoue-san, are you alright?"

Orihime barely heard his question, and merely voiced what she was thinking out loud as if in a daze.

"That was...Kurosaki-kun..."

Urahara blinked once. Then twice. And then his eyes widened in surprise.

"WHAT!?"

* * *

**Well, that's it for Chapter 3. I worked on it all day, and had to make several revisions, but I still don't like the beginning of the chapter. In either case, as long as you, the reader, enjoys it, then I don't mind. Anyway, please R&R! I'd really appreciate your comments!**

**As for Chapter 4...well, there may or may not be a Chapter 4 available next week. Or for the next 7 to 17 weeks. If you want to know why, please check my profile for the reason why. If I do get a new chapter in next week, awesome, if not, I'm really sorry. But worry not, I will not abandon this story no matter what! I'll continue to write this story as soon as I get the chance! **

**Anyway, that's it for now. Remember, read & review! Till the next time!**

**-Joseph Frias**

**aka gmsephiroth**

**Now a proud member of the US Air Force!**


	4. IMPORTANT Author Note 3

**Author's Note #3:**

**29MAY08 1232**

**Having recently received a number of messages and reviews from fellow readers of this fic, I thought it would be best to post this up to let all of you know that I have not abandoned this story. My military service is unfortunately taking up most of my time and has left me unable to dedicate very much time to the continuation of this story. I am, however, making steady progress with Chapter 4, and it will be released sometime in the near future, I would estimate in about a month's time or so.**

**I sincerely apologize for the wait to those who are following this story. The best I can do for you all is to use up what little free time I have to continue writing the next chapter bit by bit. Thank you all for faithfully waiting for the next chapter, I hope you won't be disappointed with it once it finally gets posted. Thanks again for your support!**

**-Joseph A. Frias**

**A1C, USAF**


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